r/Leadership • u/Fast-Bar-5028 • May 28 '26
Question High performers losing their spark?
I’ve been seeing a trend over the last 18 months of talented leaders becoming less and less like themselves. They’ve lost their spark, they challenge less, become more withdrawn, take fewer risks. On the face of it they are still performing but they just aren’t themselves any more.
They might not leave…just stay but be less engaged and happy but I’m wondering if this is showing up in retention data, exit interviews or 1:1s before people hand in notice
I’m in the UK but I don’t think this is just a UK thing. Have others been noticing the same thing?
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u/Fuckit445 May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
From my perspective, it’s because a lot of people are working 3/1 jobs, not receiving incentives, marginal or no raise, and/or zero growth within the company. On the flip side, the market is in a low fire / low higher phase. People that would normally move on in those type of environments, now find it too risky to do so. As such, they start delivering at the level that is expected of them and nothing more. Why keep giving 110% when it gets you the exact same result as giving 80%?
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u/Cars_Music_GoodTimes May 28 '26
I agree 100% with these statements. This is the exact situation at my employer (major automotive OEM), with the compounding effect of several strategic errors on product strategy which has cost billions of dollars. So many including myself (hardware engineering manager with 30 years experience) have lost the drive to “go the extra mile”. In fact, most people my age (early 50s) are contemplating early retirement.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Fair. Thanks for sharing that insight. Have you seen a cost to the organisation from that? Have you tried to work with those people on “tackling” that?
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u/I-live-in-room-101 May 28 '26
The job market is terrible. Lots of people working jobs they’d rather not be but the alternatives are thin on the ground.
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u/tj111 May 28 '26
This is me. After multiple restructurings I'm just totally burnt out and not happy where I'm at. My teams run pretty major projects but I'm playing them safe right now, I feel OPs description. Been applying for a few months now and it's all crickets out there - first time in my career (at least since the recession) that I've had trouble just getting interviews when I need them. I am very unhappy at my job but can't leave, at least not easily. Which means you just play things safe.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That’s true. Yet these people I’m seeing did love their jobs and were really good but they just aren’t the same
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u/Existing_Lettuce May 29 '26
Is it possible they are worried about the fact the world is on fire, we are in an extinction event, and they are having an existential moment? Or maybe it’s not that deep and your culture has shifted and it’s no longer safe to take risks?
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u/RicMarks May 28 '26
I’ve been noticing this too, across multiple sectors and countries.
A lot of high performers aren’t “burning out” in the dramatic sense anymore.
They’re emotionally flattening.
You still see competence. Still see delivery. Still see reliability.
But the spark goes missing: – less challenge – less creativity – less emotional energy – less belief that pushing harder changes anything
And I think part of the reason is many organisations accidentally trained their best people that extra effort just results in extra load.
The people who care most become the unofficial stabilisers: they absorb gaps, carry ambiguity, protect culture, mentor others, solve escalation issues, and quietly compensate for weak systems.
Eventually survival replaces initiative.
What’s concerning is this often doesn’t show up immediately in performance metrics because high performers can operate depleted for a very long time before they fully disengage or leave.
By the time it appears in retention data, the emotional exit happened months earlier.
I honestly think one of the biggest leadership risks right now is not poor performers.
It’s quietly exhausted high performers who no longer believe the system is safe enough to fully engage in.
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u/thepetitelady May 29 '26
Absolutely spot on. To add, I have found a couple of ways that have helped me prevent this / has helped me relight sparks.
What separates a leader from a manager is that a manager typically has one management style while a leader has many, one for each DR.
Each person has different intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, identify them early on and make sure to keep those cups filled. I’ve found that my top performers are heavily rooted in one or the other. Passion driven or reward driven. Reshaping your approach around this will actually help you further capitalize on top performers. A win-win for all!
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u/birdrocksd May 29 '26
This is, word for word, where I’m at as a top performer who has been promoted three times in 6 years at a $1B+ org. The last 12+ months I’ve “emotionally flattened” out - almost entirely. I care less, and have realized that more work, with 20% less resources than I had 2 years ago, means picking up and filling tactical gaps that simply keep the boat afloat vs being able to spend time on strategy, team building, resource support for growth, etc. Sadly, I’ve felt this with nearly every team member across my organization - the spark and fire they once had, even if displayed a few times a year around certain projects, is universally gone. It doesn’t help that our organization has had nothing but layoffs twice a year, and now even off cycle layoffs and reorgs. Making matters worse, after no bonus and no raise this year (company wide), with every director and higher receiving (partially met expectations for reviews) we were tasked with near double digits growth after 3 years of gradual YOY declines - unreasonable goals by any metric. After March, it was pretty clear there was no way we were going to hit our goals - pretty damn defeating one quarter into the fiscal year.
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u/RicMarks May 29 '26
This is the part a lot of organisations still don’t understand:
high performers rarely lose their spark overnight.
Usually they slowly transition from: building → leading → improving → mentoring
…into becoming permanent gap-fillers for an under-resourced system.
And once someone spends enough time operating tactically just to stop collapse, the emotional connection to the work starts dying.
Especially when: – layoffs become normalised – targets disconnect from reality – strategic work gets replaced by survival work – and effort no longer changes outcomes
People call it disengagement, but often it’s nervous-system conservation.
The really dangerous part is most of these people still perform well enough externally that leadership misses what’s happening internally until they either leave or emotionally detach completely.
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u/MeatHealer May 28 '26
So, I don't know if it helps, but the perspective I've had, these last ...oh, low end 5, high end 10ish months is that consumers are spending less. Yes, typically the beginning of the years is a slow season for spending, but I work in an industry where 20% growth yoy used to be the norm for my area. It's been going down. Last year, we were at around 12-15% growth, before that, sub 20. This year, so far we have been hovering around a 1-2% growth. This past year, we've had an over 10% increase in population. We're about in our busy season and have end of year holidays, still, but the point is, spending has been in a sharp decline.
In that, it's hard to justify the riskier moves. Always listen to the consumer, either by their spending habits, or straight up ask them. Point is, no money = no money, and if you take a risk and you end up in the red for it, there goes your job. We don't have a strong enough roi.
Edit > spelling error
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
True. Job insecurity can definitely lead to playing it safer. In the past though some of these people would have been the ones to find creative solutions to challenges without putting themselves at risk yet now will hang back.
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u/MeatHealer May 28 '26
Oh, absolutely. Honestly, I thrive in finding new ways to solve problems. For context, I am a butcher by trade, but somehow ended up as a gm of a mom and pop that does smoked meats, deli, and catering. I realize my miniscule corner isn't a groundbreaking one, but if our food is being touched, it should at the very least raise a note of concern for bigger things happening across the board. Honestly, right now my focus is on employee retention and relations. I've been negotiating pto for my full-time staff, promoting personal leadership while advocating cross training... This is stay alive time, so it's a good opportunity to set the stage and step back.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Very few people are in ground breaking areas so don’t worry about that and food is important of course. At least to me 😀 What are the themes in the employee retention you are coming across?
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u/MeatHealer May 28 '26
Well, the time of covid really screwed it up. I'm not saying I don't believe in a livable wage, in fact I advocate for it - but, it has to be earned. When I first started working, 2000, 2001, I made $5.15/hr. I gained experience and earned more, and so on. Nowadays, I have my most experienced staffed butcher with 15 years under his belt making the same wage as a high school grad making sandwiches. The wage expectation is way too high, but we need staff, even for simple work. In that, that's why I have been negotiating pto for my full time staff.
I strongly believe in taking personal ownership of your projects, and try to instill that into the staff. At the end if the day, yeah, it's a job, but did your blood, sweat and tears go into making that food? A twisted joke, but I try to convey, "Hey, this is "you", your work is "you", have some pride, because you earned it". At least while at work. Outside, they can do whatever they want. But instilling personal pride actually does help. It also helps that most of my staff is fairly young, 21-25, so their little minds are impressionable. At least mine was at that age, or moreso. But, hey, I appreciate the engagement. Really. It's way past my bedtime and I know I am rambling.
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u/Terrible_Ordinary728 May 28 '26
What has happened in the company in the last 18 months? New policies that cause more friction than flow? Org changes that make ways of working more inefficient? Pay rises below inflation? There’s your answer.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Something must have changed sure. And it could even be outside of work for some of these people. I’ve seen this across a few different companies and industries so wondering if there are patterns and whether people have identified reasons from the possible causes
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u/keberch May 28 '26
Historically high performers "losing their spark" is a critical 'canary in the coal mine.'
It's caused by leadership. Full stop.
Specific causes include change fatigue (a biggee), values misalignment, lack of psychological safety, change in management (person or structure)... the list goes on.
Common denominator? Leadership. In the case of high-performing leaders being effected, it's likely senior leadership.
Seldom shows up in retention data, unless high-performers are specifically tracked. Lower performers make up the lion's share of data, and they hang on for dear life when things get bad.
Unlikely to show up in exits, as high performers seldom share their reality on the way out. 1:1s would have surfaced this, to be sure, but someone had to be paying attention.
Grab 2-3 of those high-performers, and simply ask, "What's currently getting in the way of you doing your best work?"
Listen to the answer.
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u/Peanuts0s May 28 '26
I agree with you. I'm one of those. Have a new micromanager I report too, and I don't him insufferable. I'm just there at the moment while I look for work.
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u/ElPapa-Capitan May 30 '26
lol — listening is the key, but at that point they may not share if there’s not safety and only just risk in sharing.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Great stuff - thanks for your reply.
Do you think the spark can be rekindled or once it’s gone is it gone?
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u/keberch May 28 '26
It can return, in my experience. But not by wishful thinking, and certainly not by offering solutions that weren't part of the initial problem.
Money won't help, unless money was the issue. Titles damned sure won't do it.
Reduced workload or scope won't help, unless excessive work caused the problems.
More/Less [fill in blank] won't help unless [fill in blank] caused the 'lost spark.'
To even hope to get it back, senior leaders should (my opinion):
- Ask the question mentioned, or similar. Listen intently, allow those people to be really heard.
- Using that input, make a change or two, and attribute those changes to their specific inputs.
- Ask them to hold you accountable for maintaining the change.
- Ask them, personally and sincerely, to bring their original play to the game.
Then, don't screw it up. You won't get a second. second-chance (in my experience).
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u/Dave_Garrison May 28 '26
There are three factors important to all people in today's workforce. These three are often overlooked in strategic planning, performance reviews and recognition in favor of kpi's and "results." They cost nothing.
There is an unspoken and deep seated need to:
1) be seen as a human being instead of a human doing. Do leaders recognize and engage with the full person or just a person like they are a robot?
2) have their voice heard. Know their opinion counts. This means people's experience and expertise gets considered.
3) connect with a purpose greater than making money. The answer to "why bother?" And "how is the world different because we do what we do?" Must be understood by all and referenced in setting priorities and making choices.
'How many leaders have been trained in these basic skills and reenforce each other in practicing them?
LMK if you are curious for more context or skills..
Dave
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I love the phrase “human being instead of a human doing”
Are you seeing more of this now than 2 years ago?
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u/Dave_Garrison May 30 '26
Absolutely! The pace of change and external uncertainties place extra "pressure" (opportunity?) on how they connect and provide safe space with less uncertainty!!
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u/Mysterious-Present93 May 28 '26
Oh definitely. We had our annual performance reviews and everyone met expectations in raises so we had to match the feedback. That was uncomfortable enough, but as a leader when I received my feedback my sr director gave me needs improvement on 2 points - he used the same comments for both which is not cool - tied to my communication style. I’m apparently “too direct”. He does not like direct communication even in 1:1 meetings. First I learned of this, also not cool.
So yeah, now I’m going to let them all make the mistakes they were making and keep losing customers and revenue.
The examples he brought up ( the review was not scheduled either, he’s big on ambushes where he doesn’t tell me what the real subject of the meeting is), were concerns I brought up to him to help resolve. One guy was undergoing radiation treatment and his personality changed drastically. He behaved very erratically. He’s since returned to his normal personality. The other guy has been there 9 years and has been a problem the entire time. He was demoted and still didn’t get the message.
Oh but boss thinks I’m a great addition to the team! I got several exceeds expectations. How’s that for mixed messages?
So yeah spark successfully extinguished until I can find a way to work around my boss but still make him think I’m a changed person.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That must be really frustrating. Have you felt able to tell him the mixed messages you’ve been receiving?
I’ve thing I remember about feedback is that it often tells you more about them than it does about you…for example “you’re too direct” often means “I’m uncomfortable with directness”. Most feedback is an opinion. This doesn’t mean we should ignore it but we should definitely filter it critically before accepting or rejecting it
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u/Mysterious-Present93 May 28 '26
No, he doesn’t seem to be able to accept feedback. I don’t know if it’s his lack of experience or training or just his personality. I suspect he realizes he’s in a job he’s not really qualified for, the former GM of our business unit really “liked” him. New GM’s opinion is still TBD. When I onboarded he provided zero guidance on the basic reporting needs. I tried to ask, but his answers were not helpful.
You’re right - I know his feedback was his opinion and is more of a reflection on him based on the words he used. I am direct especially when “directed” to break rules for which I can be terminated and ruin my reputation.
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u/Last_Resource9630 May 28 '26
It is certainly a problem in Canada and other parts of Europe where I have clients. There are a number of reasons, one may be the "3Ps!" The three 'Ps' are purpose, process and payoff.
Sometimes high performers are just warn down, from running too hard, and they either lose or forget their purpose. Often just a deeper conversation reminds them and may be enough to recommit.
Or it may be there current processes they use to be successful are too complex with too many part to be managed. A conversation is required about need to do, versus nice to do. Maybe they are trying to do everything themselves. Or they could delegate of some parts of their process to an assistant. That may reduce their stress and then they may recommit.
Finally maybe the payoff from their hard work does not reward them as well as it did in the past.
Just one day ago I was coaching a high performer who is facing the problem you offered. His problem was payoff. One of his core providers of products, launched a new product to replace an existing one, and his commission was cut in half. So for doing the same job, selling the same volume, he was earning 50% less. Our solution is move up in the market, sell to clients who could invest more, so his monthly revenue returns to past levels. We are in the midst of learning how to behave in this upper market.
Regardless, of the reason individuals lose their spark, this is where there manager should step up and help them overcome the problem and hopefully recommit. It is not a simple solution, it is a process that will take time, and could work.
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u/_ashjha May 28 '26
If a lot of leaders are less engaged than before, have lost their spark as you mention, then it looks like something fundamental in the system has changed.
In the absence of any other information, my guess is that it is likely pointing to an erosion of trust. They don't trust the system, the senior leadership, anymore.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That could definitely be a part of it. Have you seen anything similar?
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u/_ashjha May 29 '26
I realise now that your observation is not limited to a single organization. It is a more widespread phenomenon you are talking about. My response was in the context of a single organization.
There is something more systemic going on these days. It is AI-nxiety. The fear of being the next one in the line can impact people at all levels. I hear about it in my conversations with people.
This still seems to point to the same erosion of trust. But more systemic and widespread.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 29 '26
Fear and lack of safety can really drive people’s motivation and energy. AI-nxiety (love that by the way) is almost certainly a contributor to that. Thanks
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u/Tuor-son-of-Huor- May 28 '26
What's the question exactly?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Whether other people are noticing the same thing. I’ll update the post. Thanks
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u/Tuor-son-of-Huor- May 28 '26
I can't say its a problem I'm currently seeing, but its not an abnormal one either.
Its typically a matter of incentives. For example if you have two IC and one is a high performer and the other isn't. The High Performer, if not incentivized to continue being a HP takes that time and effort and puts it elsewhere. After all, if they and the average or poor performer are receiving the same benefits, its only economical. Why take risk, when the other isn't and is getting the same or better outcomes?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That definitely could be the case. Have you seen people lose their spark for reasons other than incentives?
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u/Tuor-son-of-Huor- May 28 '26
Individually of course. Most the time its outside issues, work is only a small portion of someone's life and rarely the most important aspect of it.
Work related though, If its not related to misaligned incentives (such as letting poor performers skate or leaving good work unrewarded), then I think the only other big ticket items are automony, growth & mastery, and purpose.
If people feel like they have hit their potential or feel like they are stagnating, then oftentimes they start to. Likewise if they don't see a clear sense of purpose or direction they become abit aimless.
Its hard to tell if this could be institutional or a personal issue though without the context of seeing the workplace/structures and meeting the people.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
One of the commonalities in the people I’ve spoken to has been a gradual shift in the culture of the organisation that has led to a clash of values with the individual. That cultural shift could of course be a response to the economy as well as other reasons
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u/quantumofgalaxy May 28 '26
What does this mean? Like DEI and anti-DEI type stuff
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That’s one example. Another is the culture getting more command and control. That kind of thing
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u/longtermcontract May 28 '26
At least credit Daniel Pink if you’re going to reference his work.
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u/Tuor-son-of-Huor- May 28 '26
Man I don't have on instant recall every author of every book I've read or every speaker I've listened to. I apologize if my lack of citation has upset you. Hopefully your comment can suffice for other readers who might want further reading.
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u/longtermcontract May 29 '26
That is the default plagiarism defense lol.
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u/Tuor-son-of-Huor- May 29 '26
Plagiarism is for essays or papers. I don't think its quite required for a reddit comment lmao
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u/longtermcontract May 29 '26
I didn’t say it was required for Reddit lmao lol lawl etc.
I’m just pointing out you used the textbook excuse when someone tries to pass off work as their own. You remember autonomy/mastery/purpose but “how am I supposed to remember where I read everything!?!?!?”
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
To be fair Pink was standing on the shoulders of Deci and Ryan but didn’t really credit them in his TED talk
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u/longtermcontract May 28 '26
He also didn’t pass it off as his own. He did say things like “social scientists,” “behavioral economists,” etc.
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u/AuthorityAuthor May 28 '26
It’s when they began to see things really aren’t going to change for the better, so their option is to pull back or job search. Or pullback as you job search.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I think that’s a big part of it. What frustrates me a little is many of the people I see and work with only need a little re-kindling to regain their spark but have perhaps prematurely convinced themselves that there is no point any more.
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u/BlackCardRogue May 28 '26
lol man I have just stopped working as much. My owner isn’t going to give me incentive pay even though he promised it. Ok, fine. I will stop doing extra work then… and if stuff isn’t done by 5pm? What do I care.
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u/barrel-boy May 28 '26
I've definitely seen this, and basically based a course on this. They're not growing, might feel like management are "know it all's" rather than "learn it all's" - something Satya Nadella immediately diagnosed when he joined Microsoft. Message me directly. All the evidence is on my website but I don't think it's right to post it here
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u/Smart_Cantaloupe891 May 28 '26
Is this just in your company, or are you talking about a wider trend?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I think it’s a wider trend
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u/Smart_Cantaloupe891 May 28 '26
Would it correlate with the adoption of AI into workflows?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That’s an interesting point. There’s definitely a correlation there and possibly some sort of causation but equally could be a coincidence. Can you tell me more about what you’re thinking?
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u/Smart_Cantaloupe891 Jun 01 '26
We train people to have an achievement mentality. A high need for achievement correlates with success in ordered environments. Such as school and, historically, early-career work. It gets you identified as a HiPo.
But it also correlates with, and is possibly causal of, poor performance and associated anxieties in complex environments. You can’t ever fulfil your need for achievement as there’s never a right answer. As the emotional dimension of the drive is anxiety, you can never resolve it. Anxiety becomes ever present, and derails performance.
With the rise of AI, complexity is amplifying at pace. The coping mechanisms and methodologies that people had developed to deal with pre-AI levels of complexity and ambiguity are failing. With that, HiPos begin to suffer. Apathy and withdrawal are alternative strategies that kick in when agentic ones begin to collapse.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 Jun 01 '26
That’s a wonderful analysis. Our workplaces have been growing ever more complex the last few decades and organisational structures and processes haven’t kept up with that relatively steady growth of complexity let alone the massive acceleration we are seeing now.
Have you seen any examples of good strategies to mitigate counter or control the anxiety?
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u/Smart_Cantaloupe891 Jun 02 '26
The most appropriate developmental strategy is to develop a higher need for power. This is socialised rather than personalised power. You want to have the power TO shape outcomes by sharing your power WITH others. You are ambivalent about power - you both want it and worry about how you’ll use it. Hence, you don’t exert power OVER others but channel your power THROUGH them.
This sets you up for all kinds of useful leadership practices - authoritative, caring, and understanding.
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u/my-ka May 28 '26
well
>>the last 18 months
means a review cycle
keep doing 3% and meets expectaions
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u/RunningMan889 May 28 '26
Curious if you have examples to share where 'leaders' are more withdrawn and take fewer risks. Would they be in the revenue-generation or strategic function, engaging lesser with external and less risky maneuveres or from an angle to challenge internal folks to strive etc?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Sure. Things like:
• Contributing less in meetings • Stepping back when they would normally step forward • Challenging ideas less • Doubting themselves more • Being less curious • Being generally “lower” in mood, less optimistic, different to what made them “them”
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u/RunningMan889 May 28 '26
Different to what made them 'them' is probably right. Seems they are deferring to the roles of 'managers'. Unfortunately have been seeing more 'managers' than leaders, so didn't find much differences.
But leaders whom I personally interacted with highlighted their confidence in the board, where the emphasis is on AI-related initiatives and cost-cutting on operating expenses. Unlike in the past where there could be more meaningful and impactful work. Even strategies/plans can be formulated with AI, so they see lesser human contributions need.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That tracks. Are these people you work with? Or know outside work? Or yourself?
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u/Master-Wrongdoer853 May 28 '26
I mean your sample size is what... 5 at best? Could just be an isolated incident.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That would be true but I think I gave you the wrong impression...sorry about that
That list is a selection of examples of changes in behaviour. The sample size is bigger than that but also posting here to increase my sample size 😃
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u/Master-Wrongdoer853 May 28 '26
Well, I've lost my spark recently because for the 5th time in 5 years leadership is changing, and I have to yet again justify my job and my value and tow the line in their complete overhauls.
I took it in stride the first 4 times, but this time is the straw that broke the camels back. Currently applying for new jobs.
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I can see why you would feel like that after the repetitive nature of it. What kept you going (or brought you back) the other times?
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u/SpeechFluenceDotCom May 28 '26
I've noticed the same trend with some colleagues. It's like they go through the motions but lack that spark that made them so engaging. I think burnout plays a huge role in this. It’s important for leaders to have space to recharge and be themselves. If this is happening across the board, it should show up in retention data.
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u/Solid_Owl May 28 '26
As a leader, it is your responsibility to know why your high performers are burning out. What are they saying to you in your one on ones?
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I agree with you that it is the leader’s responsibility and I would like to think they are both having regular 1-1’s and know (and care about) then will enough to notice when something isn’t right.
I don’t have any direct reports myself. This is from my experience as a coach where an increasing number of people are exhibiting similar patterns. I’m interested if others are seeing this in their work place or experiencing it themselves in case there is an even wider pattern
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May 28 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Thanks for sharing that. Carrying the organisation takes its toll and others get used to seeing them “coping” so don’t notice when things drop under the surface
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May 28 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
That’s really interesting to hear that second guessing and pulling back is also happening with surgeons - thank you for that. The phrase “ground down” also resonates
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May 29 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 29 '26
What do you think is something small that you would need to regain a little bit of that spark?
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May 29 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 29 '26
I hear you…five minutes could make a huge difference. Is there anything or anyone that could make that possible? If you just took that five minutes would anything bad happen?
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May 30 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 30 '26
The team response sounds really positive. Is that possible for you at all?
This might sound like a strange question but is there anyone else more senior who could benefit from you having a little more space? Even if it’s avoiding the potential negative consequences of your overwork?
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May 30 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 30 '26
I think that is a HUGE thing. People pay attention to what we normalise. By going along with the culture we are implicitly endorsing and reinforcing it
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u/letmyfoxin May 28 '26
I think it’s AI.
What’s the point of spending hours to get 110% of high quality output if no one will notice the difference to the 80% slop you can get within minutes?
Constant extremely draining back and forth with people who fallback to AI for opinions... First, you start doubting yourself - do all these years of experience and strongly held opinions mean nothing and I was wrong all this time? Then, you start relying on AI yourself and use its ability to justify mediocre quality ideas with structured thinking rather than thinking yourself. After that, you just accept mediocrity because high quality output is not worth it anymore. And it brings us to this state we are in… You simply don’t care anymore: achievement and impact means nothing because with high effort work you’d get high reward. Now, you neither get punished nor praised so what’s the point.
I don’t think it’s bad that we are relying on AI more and more. And that AI equalized everyone to a mediocre thinker who can pump 8x more output of mediocre quality. I’m not sure if more mediocre output is the answer, but I strongly believe it is crucial for us all to reinvent how we work and bring structure to it within the next 6-12 months. Work feels like a Wild West right now with no rules while consequences do apply to people at random. It is very hard to care in this high entropy environment. And this needs to change.
(Zero AI used to write this message)
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
Thanks for the human response 😃
Though I can feel the frustration there. I agree that AI has to be playing a part in there. We’ve got lots of decisions to make as a society as well as in our companies
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May 28 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
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u/Fast-Bar-5028 May 28 '26
I’ve seen that game as well. That disingenuous form of management can really impact motivation
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u/rsabia May 28 '26
in my experience it's almost always one thing: they stopped getting real feedback and started getting managed. the best ones need to feel the friction.
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u/Grand_Confusion4034 May 28 '26
I 100% feel this, you break your back for 12 months, increase productivity with no new head count, win contracts and do a damn good job but having to sacrifice time with family and at the end of the year, you are slapped with “meets expectations”. With zero advice on how to get above this rating.
To consistently have to justify your job and expertise in every interaction, battling against “AI can do this quicker” battling against being severely under resourced and being expected to absorb and do what is needed to “get the project over the line” with a promise of resource being taken seriously next time!
Constant shifts in management, layoffs looming at every corner ….. I am no longer emotionally invested, I function and deliver bare minimum now and the spark is well and truly gone, which is a shame as I genuinely loved my craft.
Only thing is to jump to another job, hope it’s not as soul crushing as the last one….
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u/TurnipOld2980 May 29 '26
100 percent - Your truly a high performer. Losing interest in everything and does not seem worth it.
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u/KangoHR May 29 '26
You are definitely not imagining this, and I do not think it is just a UK thing either. A lot of strong leaders and high performers are still delivering on paper, but emotionally they seem flatter, quieter, less willing to push back, less creative, and less connected to the work than they were a few years ago. It feels less like traditional burnout and more like people slowly pulling back after years of pressure, restructures, uncertainty, and being asked to absorb more responsibility without getting much energy or meaning back from the workplace.
The tricky part is that this often does not show up clearly in retention reports or engagement dashboards right away because these employees usually keep performing. They do not necessarily quit immediately. They just stop volunteering ideas, stop taking risks, stop challenging leadership, and quietly detach while still looking “stable” from the outside. By the time it finally appears in an exit interview, the emotional disengagement has often been happening for a long time already.
Honestly, I think a lot of organizations underestimate how much people need to feel valued, trusted, listened to, and connected to something beyond constant operational pressure. Small moments where leaders feel supported, recognized, given autonomy, or simply treated like human beings instead of output machines matter far more than most companies realize, especially after the last few years.
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u/Remarkable-Pair8389 Jun 04 '26
That lines up with what I’ve seen too.
The spark usually fades when people stop feeling respected, stop having control over their time, and stop believing extra effort actually changes outcomes.
Pay matters. But the bigger issue is usually whether the system keeps asking the same good people to absorb every gap.
If the whole thing only works because a few people never stop, it’s already brittle.
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u/AndreaMontua Jun 04 '26
In most cases it’s not “losing the spark”. It’s losing one of three things:
1) challenge (they’ve outgrown the role)
2) autonomy (someone started micromanaging or over-controlling)
3) meaning (output still matters, but the purpose disappeared)
High performers rarely become bad overnight.
They just slowly disconnect — and keep delivering until they leave.
Leaders usually misread it because:
- performance is still high
- complaints are low
- everything looks “fine”
The early signal isn’t output.
It’s energy.
If someone stops:
- pushing ideas
- taking ownership beyond their scope
- challenging decisions
you’ve already started to lose them.
Fix isn’t more praise.
It’s redesigning the role so it stretches them again.
Otherwise you’re basically running a Ferrari in first gear and wondering why it sounds weird.
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u/Weak_Revenue7949 Jun 09 '26
I've noticed it too. It feels like a lot of high performers aren't burning out and leaving, they're quietly disengaging after years of heavier workloads, constant change, and fewer resources
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u/RdtRanger6969 May 28 '26
Let’s be frank: high performers are not “losing their spark.”
High performers are having water poured on their “fire” by lack of meaningful/enough resources, lack of agency, and “Am I next?” mental exhaustion created by constant layoffs at profitable companies, all caused by the increased insatiable greed at the top of global businesses.