Feeling Powerless at Work? Here’s Where Your Agency Still Lives

Work has always been demanding, but lately, it feels like the ground is constantly shifting. Business is moving faster, projects disappear overnight, expectations change without warning. Under pressure, teams see more tension and uncomfortable moments. So how do you stay steady through these times and even use workplace tensions to grow and improve?

This week on Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel talks with Aiko Bethea, leadership coach and author of Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives.

Aiko’s book comes with a forward from Brené Brown, and offers a road-tested framework for navigating modern work with more clarity and intention. Instead of looking outward for stability, she argues that the real work starts within: understanding your values, recognizing your impact, and reclaiming your sense of agency.

In this conversation, Jessi and Aiko discuss:

• Why work feels more chaotic than ever
• What it really means to be “anchored” in your values—and why most of us get this wrong
• How to align your decisions and behavior with what actually matters to you
• A more generous, effective way to think about accountability (hint: it’s not about blame)
• The many forms of power operating inside organizations
• Why curiosity is the key to better leadership and stronger relationships
• How to stop waiting for external conditions to improve and start creating your own stability

This episode is for anyone looking for a way to regain clarity, ownership, and direction in the middle of constant change.

Follow Aiko Bethea and Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn.