I started an intentional process of dearmoring in my 40’s. It wasn’t something I had planned to do, so it wasn’t built into my packed schedule. It was something that found me and demanded to be acknowledged and addressed.
While quiet quitting was all about employees pulling back and only doing the bare minimum, quiet cracking tells a different story. It refers to a gradual decline in engagement that often goes unnoticed until burnout hits. Those who are quietly cracking still show up, perform their tasks and often care deeply about their work. However, on the inside, they’re running low on meaning, energy and connection. It’s a subtle pressure that builds up over time.
Years ago, I used to think my identity was completely wrapped up in my job title and all that came along with it. When someone asked me who I was, I’d just rattle off what I did for a living. It felt perfectly normal back then, until it didn’t anymore.
Every leader eventually encounters tough moments when everything becomes more challenging. Whether it’s due to changing market conditions, a public relations crisis, a top priority initiative that is struggling, significant organizational changes or just an overwhelming number of demands, it can start off feeling manageable. You put in extra hours, stay late, rally the troops and push through to keep everything on track. But as time goes on, those same tactics can begin to falter. What once felt like determination can start to morph into chronic strain.
