Narrator: Manny Caro grew up surfing the waves of Southern California. After the dot-com bubble burst, he found himself in a soul-sapping retail job, his dream of becoming a marine biologist fading. But he kept surfing, using a strange, unconventional board he’d crafted himself. Other surfers mocked it, until they saw how fast it was, how effortlessly it carved through the water. In that moment, Manny realized his life wouldn't be determined by other people's formulas. He would create his own. He became a "shaper," not just of surfboards, but of his own life, finding deep meaning in his craft.

This story stands in stark contrast to the experience of millions who feel they are enduring what the author Studs Terkel called "a Monday through Friday sort of dying." In his book, SHAPERS: Reinvent the Way You Work and Change the Future, Jonas Altman argues that we are at a watershed moment. He provides a roadmap for escaping the crisis of disengagement by adopting the mindset of a shaper—someone who actively reinvents their work to find purpose, meaning, and a deeper connection to their own life.

Narrator: The modern workplace is facing a quiet epidemic. Gallup polls consistently reveal that the vast majority of the global workforce—as high as 85%—is not engaged in their work. This isn't just a matter of boredom; it's a profound lack of connection that leads to burnout, toxic behaviors, and staggering economic losses, estimated at $350 billion annually in the U.S. alone. The book argues that this crisis stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what drives human fulfillment. For centuries, work was framed as toil, a necessary evil. But in a world where traditional sources of meaning, like religion, are less central for many, people are increasingly looking to their work for a sense of purpose.

Altman suggests we should pursue meaning over fleeting happiness. Happiness is often about getting what you want, an external and unstable goal. Meaning, however, is about expressing who you are. This is powerfully illustrated by the Japanese concept of shokunin, which translates to 'craftsman' but means much more. As Japanese sculptor Toshio Odate explains, a shokunin has a social and spiritual obligation to work their best for the general welfare of the people. It’s a deep personal commitment to excellence and contribution. This mindset transforms work from a mere job into a practice that shapes a colorful life, giving it what Altman calls a "shimmer."

Narrator: A primary driver of the disengagement crisis is the outdated, industrial-age belief that people are resources to be managed. Altman argues that this perspective is fundamentally flawed. Pioneering organizations understand that people are talent to be inspired and challenged. This requires a radical rethinking of the role of Human Resources and management itself.

Zappos, the online shoe retailer, famously demonstrated this with its "Pay to Quit" program. After a week of training, new hires were offered $2,000 to leave if they felt the company wasn't a good fit. This seemingly counterintuitive move was a brilliant strategy to ensure that only those truly committed to the company's culture remained. Similarly, Netflix built its renowned culture on the principle of "freedom and responsibility," eliminating formal vacation policies and performance reviews, and instead treating employees like adults who could be trusted to act in the company's best interest. These companies don't just offer perks; they build environments of psychological safety and trust, where employees are empowered to contribute their best work. As former Netflix Chief Talent Officer Patty McCord states, "Good talent managers think like businesspeople and innovators first, and like HR people last."

Narrator: The traditional career ladder—a linear progression up the ranks of a single organization—has collapsed. For modern shapers, a career is more like a series of "tours of duty," with dips, turns, and bridges. In this new landscape, adaptability, or what Altman calls "fluidity," is the most vital skill. This means being able to move quickly and with dexterity amid constant change.

This fluidity is not just an individual trait but an organizational one. The most innovative companies now rely on fluid teams, which form and dissolve to tackle specific challenges. A surprising example comes from the National Basketball League (NBA), where high player turnover is common. Teams succeed not by building static rosters, but by fostering a culture of trust where individual members prioritize team success over personal glory, even if their time together is short. This principle is also seen at the fashion retailer ZARA, which effectively brings customers into its team. Sales staff meticulously note why shoppers reject an item, and this real-time feedback is sent to the factory, allowing ZARA to tweak designs and respond to trends in just three weeks—a process that takes competitors nine months.

Narrator: Even in jobs that seem mundane, individuals have the power to find meaning by actively redesigning their roles—a practice known as job crafting. Altman shares the powerful story of a hospital cleaner who redefined her job. She saw herself not just as a cleaner, but as a caretaker essential to the healing environment. She would dust the ceilings so comatose patients wouldn't have to stare at cobwebs and would change the pictures in their rooms, hoping to stimulate them. By expanding her role to align with her desire to help others, she transformed her work into a source of deep fulfillment.

This proactive approach is part of what marketing executive Marcus Collins calls the "pursuit of dopeness"—a continuous drive for excellence and human flourishing. It's about integrating one's passions and skills into work to make a unique contribution. This requires moving beyond the myth of multitasking. fMRI studies show our brains can't do two things at once; we just switch tasks rapidly, which diminishes the quality of our work. Shapers understand this and instead work in focused, deep bursts, managing their energy like an athlete who sprints, then rests and recovers.

Narrator: In a world of fluid teams and self-motivated shapers, leadership itself must transform. The old top-down, command-and-control model is obsolete. The leader of tomorrow is more like a teacher, a coach, and a mobiliser, whose primary question is, "How can I help my team do their best work?"

Altman outlines four key leadership modes. The Learner, exemplified by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, replaces a "know-it-all" attitude with a "learn-it-all" philosophy, fostering curiosity and experimentation. The Mobiliser, like former Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill, focuses the organization on a key goal (like worker safety) to prompt collective action and information sharing. The Giver prioritizes the success of others, which Adam Grant's research shows leads to higher productivity and lower turnover. Finally, the Coach, like Meghan Messenger of Next Jump, disperses power and creates space for people to rise to their best. These new modes of leadership are not about having all the answers, but about creating an environment of trust where the team can find them together.

Narrator: Jonas Altman's SHAPERS is a powerful call to action. It argues that the future of work is not something that happens to us, but something we must actively create. The book's single most important takeaway is that meaning is not a luxury, but the very engine of a fulfilling professional life. We find it not by chasing external rewards, but by courageously injecting our authentic selves—our values, our passions, and our quirks—into what we do every day.

The challenge Altman leaves us with is both personal and collective. It asks us to stop accepting a system that leaves so many feeling disconnected and to start rewriting the grand narrative of work. The first step isn't to change your job, but to change your perspective. How can you, starting today, begin to see your work not as a set of obligations, but as a craft to be shaped?