In This Week’s Issue:
What quiet quitting actually looks like
Why it happens more often than you think
Early signs leaders miss
How to re-engage someone before it’s too late
Reader Q&A on motivation, accountability, and team health
Setting the Stage
Quiet quitting has become a buzzword, but the behavior isn’t new. People don’t usually walk into work one day and announce they’re done. They fade. They disconnect. They contribute less and care less, but they still collect the paycheck.
Most quiet quitters didn’t start out that way. They were once engaged, motivated, or at least neutral. Something shifted. Something made the effort feel like it wasn’t worth it anymore. And that shift is where leadership matters.
You can’t fix what you don’t see. And most leaders don’t spot quiet quitting until the damage is done.
THE BIG INSIGHT
People don’t quietly quit their job. They quietly quit their leader.
How Quiet Quitting Actually Shows Up
Quiet quitting isn’t dramatic. It’s subtle. And it often hides behind “reasonable” behavior.
Here’s what it looks like in the real world:
They log off at 5:00:01 like the laptop personally offended them.
Their Slack status says “active,” but they haven’t actually opened Slack since summer.
They join Zoom, turn off the camera, and vanish into the digital fog.
They mute team channels with the reflexes of a Navy SEAL.
“Not my job” becomes their personal mission statement.
Their Out of Office message has been on for two months… and no one knows why.
You’ve probably seen some version of this. If you haven’t, someone on your team has.
Quiet quitting isn’t laziness. It’s disengagement. It’s a signal. Leaders need to read it early.
Why Quiet Quitting Happens
People don’t check out all at once. They slide into it.
It usually happens because of one or more of these:
Lack of recognition
They feel invisible. Effort goes unnoticed, so effort disappears.
Lack of clarity
Confusion kills motivation. Unclear priorities make work feel pointless.
Lack of growth
When people stop seeing a future, they stop giving their best in the present.
Lack of trust or psychological safety
If people don’t feel safe to speak up, they shut down instead.
Inconsistent leadership
When expectations change constantly, people protect their energy.
Quiet quitting is rarely about work ethic. It’s about unmet needs.
What Great Leaders Do About It
Quiet quitters don’t re-engage on their own. They don’t “snap out of it.” Leaders have to intervene early, directly, and with clarity.
Here’s how:
Have the real conversation, not the safe one.
This isn’t a “How’s everything going?” chat.
It’s:
“I’ve noticed your engagement slipping. Let’s talk about what’s going on.”
No judgment. Just truth.
Audit what you reward and what you tolerate.
If you reward output but ignore effort, people disengage. If you tolerate low ownership, the rest of the team carries the load. Misaligned signals create quiet quitters.
Make their effort feel worth it again.
People lean in when they believe the effort matters. Recognition, clarity, support, and growth opportunities go a long way. You don’t need grand gestures, just consistency and presence.
Quiet quitting is reversible when leaders catch it early. It becomes permanent when leaders avoid the conversation.
QUESTIONS
Q: How do I know if it’s quiet quitting or burnout?
Burnout is exhaustion. Quiet quitting is disengagement. Look for emotional withdrawal more than workload strain.
Q: What if the person denies anything is wrong?
Describe behaviors, not judgments. “Here’s what I’m seeing,” is harder to dismiss than “You seem checked out.”
Q: What if the person just doesn’t want to be here anymore?
Then your job is to get clarity and take action. Keeping a quiet quitter in place hurts everyone.
Takeaway
A team member can quit and leave. But letting someone quit and stay? That’s on the leader.
Spot the early signs. Have the real conversation. Rebuild the connection or make the decision that needs to be made.
Quiet quitting is avoidable but not by accident.
~ Chad Todd
