The Rise of Quiet Quitting: A Global Crisis of Compassion in Leadership

In recent years, the corporate world has been grappling with a pervasive issue known as "Quiet Quitting." This phenomenon refers to employees disengaging from their work, doing the bare minimum, and lacking enthusiasm. Although this is not a new phenomenon, Gallup's 2023 State of the Global Workplace report revealed that 59% of workers worldwide are "quiet quitting" while 18% are actively disengaged. A staggering 77% of global workers are not thriving at work leading to a productivity problem with an estimated global annual cost of $8.8 trillion USD.

The Crisis of Leadership: The root of the problem lies in a crisis of leadership. Many leaders ascend to their positions based on technical expertise and individual success but lack crucial leadership skills including empathy, care, and compassion. This deficiency has been exacerbated by the events of the past few years, putting immense pressure on already incapable leaders. If leaders were struggling before the pandemic, leading people almost completely remotely has created a wider chasm than ever.

The Impact on Employees: This void of leadership takes a toll on employees' well-being and creates a deep sense of resentment. I have spoken with many during the preparation of this article and employees are feeling excluded, unappreciated, untrusted, and taken advantage of, leading to frustration and disconnection from their work. Much worse, poor leadership has resulted in significant physical and mental health issues.

Cary Cooper is a professor of organizational psychology & health at the University of Manchester and is the chair of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work in the U.K.?

Cooper recently said,?“Maybe we should have on the doorway of every office [a label] like they have on a pack of cigarettes: ‘Your boss is potentially dangerous to your health.’”?

As cited in a recent article entitled, “Is your boss making you sick?”,?researchers have found that nearly 8 in 10 employees show?physical signs of stress?because of poor leaders, and that nearly one-third are more prone to developing conditions like coronary heart disease, insomnia and diabetes. If that isn’t enough of a concern, boss induced stress can also lead to mental illness. 3 in 5 employees say their job?impacts their mental health?more than any other factor.?

The Solution: We need to return to compassionate leadership to address the crisis of quiet quitting and to foster a positive and healthy work environment. Leaders must prioritize care and compassion for their employees. Building trusting relationships is paramount, which involves understanding employees' needs, supporting their success, and providing transparency about expectations and performance.

Investing Time in Understanding Employees: Leaders should spend a significant portion of their week connecting with employees, understanding their challenges, and removing obstacles in their path. Open discussions and transparent communication help build trust and genuine care within teams.

Being Authentic and Trustworthy: Authenticity is key to gaining trust. Leaders should avoid trying to appear perfect and that they have all the answers and instead engage in honest conversations. If a leader expects to be trusted, they too must give trust to their employees. Leaders must generously share information and performance updates openly and not second guess the dedication and work ethic of employees that work remotely.

Commitment to Employee Success: Leaders must be committed to helping struggling employees thrive. Termination should be a last resort, with leaders ensuring they have provided sufficient support and collaboration before taking such action.?

When a teammate is terminated, I always ask that leaders and teammates reflect on whether they did everything in their power to help that employee succeed – did we really do our best?

The Power of Compassionate Leadership: While tactical competency and delivering results are critical, compassionate leadership that prioritizes employee well-being and inspires trust is equally crucial. Building a positive work culture based on care and compassion leads to increased employee engagement and success.

I always meet regularly with my direct reports, listening to their concerns, helping to remove obstacles in their path, creating a safe environment for me to provide collaborative coaching. I host open employee townhalls and specific team discussions to build camaraderie, obtain feedback and focus on our vision, strategy and progress. Every employee should understand the company vision, the plan to get there and how we are doing.

Leaders are failing. They are robbing employees of the right to be proud of their work and their contribution to their community. Even worse, they are making themselves and their employees physically and mentally ill. The crisis of quiet quitting demands a shift towards compassionate leadership. Leaders who genuinely care about their employees' well-being and success will stand out and attract top talent.

By investing in trust-building and genuine connections, leaders can address the productivity problem caused by disengagement and create a mutually beneficial environment for both them and their employees.

I encourage you to share your reactions & comments with me and share this article in your networks. I am very interested to keep the dialogue going and to help leaders lead with care and compassion. A special thank you to the following who contributed to this article.

Christine Miller MA FRSA Michael Giller Michael Aceto Rob Landry David Bradshaw Sweta Regmi Pierre Fauchille Jeff Doran Aline Badr PCC Jane Finn

#leadership #humanresources #compassionateleadership #empathy