Tech founder Laszlo Bock likes to cite Aristotle on the two kinds of happiness. The ancient Greek philosopher spoke not only of hedonic happiness, Mr. Bock says, which has to do with pleasure and having a good time, but also of eudaemonic happiness, which is about feeling purpose and fulfillment. In Aristotelian ethics, this second kind of happiness is the highest human good. Mr. Bock expounds: “It turns out that if you drive meaning and purpose at work, people feel more eudaemonic happiness—and when they feel more eudaemonic happiness, they perform better and stick around longer.”

“There...