The Five Pillars of Fulfillment at Work and in Life with Bernie Borges
- Marlo Lyons
- May 20
- 3 min read
What if fulfillment is not about chasing happiness but about recognizing your small or big daily achievements? What if leaders could drive higher engagement, retention, and loyalty by understanding their teams as people, not just employees? These are the questions Bernie Borges, host of the Midlife Fulfilled podcast and self-described “Fulfillment Architect,” explores in his work.
Bernie has spent the last three years researching what fulfillment really means, how it differs from happiness, and how organizations can build more human-centered cultures by applying his five-pillar framework to leadership development and employee well-being.
Why Fulfillment Is a Higher Standard Than Happiness
Bernie makes a clear distinction between happiness and fulfillment. “Happiness is a fleeting emotion,” he says. “You can be happy in the morning and unhappy in the afternoon. But fulfillment is different. It is tied to achievement—small, medium, or large—and once you feel it, it is immutable.”
He shares that fulfillment can come from something as simple as getting to the gym or attending your child’s soccer game. The power lies not in the size of the accomplishment, but in the recognition of it. For professionals chasing external success but feeling internally flat, this reframe can be transformative. Fulfillment, unlike happiness, cannot be taken away. It belongs to you once you’ve earned it.
The Five Pillars of Fulfillment
Bernie encourages people to stop asking “Am I fulfilled?” in a vague, overwhelming way. Instead, he breaks fulfillment down into five life pillars: Health, Fitness, Career, Relationships, Legacy
“Ask yourself if you are fulfilled in each area individually,” he explains. “Because if you are fulfilled in three out of five, that’s 60 percent. That’s progress. You know exactly where to focus next.”
This model creates a roadmap for self-awareness, allowing individuals and leaders alike to identify what is working and what needs attention. It also shifts fulfillment from an abstract feeling into an actionable framework.
The Gap Between Satisfaction and Fulfillment at Work
In Bernie’s research, 75 percent of people said they were satisfied with their careers but only 61 percent said they were fulfilled. “That 14-point gap is significant,” he says. “Satisfaction is the baseline. Fulfillment is the higher standard. It reflects deeper alignment with your values, your growth, and your impact.”
For leaders and HR professionals invested in workplace well-being, this is a call to action. Engagement and retention are not just about pay or perks. They are about helping people connect their work to purpose, growth, and meaning.
Fulfillment-Centric Leadership Is the Future of Work
Bernie believes the best way to scale fulfillment across organizations is through leadership. “I call it fulfillment-centric leadership,” he says. “It starts with leaders becoming self-aware of their own fulfillment across the five pillars. Once they do that, they can lead their teams with empathy, intention, and care.”
This doesn’t mean leaders need to micromanage their teams’ well-being. Instead, they should create an environment where employees feel supported in each pillar. That might mean:
Offering mental health resources (health)
Encouraging walking meetings (fitness)
Supporting career growth and value alignment (career)
Fostering healthy communication and trust (relationships)
Making space for passions and personal purpose (legacy)
Bernie emphasizes the role of HR in this approach, especially when it comes to communication. “Programs are not enough,” he says. “If a wellness benefit is buried in an unread email, it has no impact. Leaders need to talk about it, model it, and reinforce it.”
How Fulfillment Builds Loyalty and Reduces Turnover
One of the most powerful insights from Bernie’s conversation is the link between fulfillment and loyalty. “Employees who feel valued across these five pillars are more likely to stay,” he says. “They’re more likely to recommend your company to others. And they’re more likely to show up engaged and productive.”
In a time where quiet quitting and disengagement are rampant, fulfillment offers a competitive advantage. It humanizes the workplace. It turns managers into mentors. And it creates a culture where employees choose to contribute more—because they feel seen, supported, and aligned.
Final Thoughts on Self-Awareness and Career Fulfillment
For individuals, Bernie says the work starts with self-awareness. “You might be fulfilled in your career but struggling in your relationships. Or thriving in fitness but unfulfilled in your legacy. Knowing that helps you take action that matters.”
For leaders, it’s about mindset. “If you see your people as just human capital, you will lose them. But if you care about their lives beyond the job title, you earn their loyalty.”
To dive deeper into the five-pillar framework of Bernie’s Fulfillment-Centric Leadership, tune into Bernie’s conversation here on the Work Unscripted podcast.
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