Quiet Cracking: Why Burnout Is Harder to Spot—and Fix—Than You Think
Cathie Leimbach • October 28, 2025
Based on Jen Colletta’s article To Tackle ‘Quiet Cracking,’ Start with Transformation in These 3 Areas.
Many employees today are quietly struggling. They’re showing up, doing the work, but inside they’re stressed, burned out, and feeling stuck. Experts call this “quiet cracking.” It’s not loud or obvious, but it’s a serious warning sign.
In a climate of layoffs, workers may hide their stress to avoid looking weak. They won’t speak up until things feel unmanageable. That’s why companies need to act early—before cracks turn into breaks.
To truly address quiet cracking, organizations must transform three key areas:
- Leadership: Empower managers as the first line of defense with coaching, career development, and tools to spot invisible stress.
- Culture: Shift away from hero culture where burnout is seen as commitment, and toward sustainable goals, clear boundaries, and psychological safety.
- Technology: Use data-backed insights to predict burnout, track wellbeing, and hold leaders accountable for improving employee experience.
When managers understand workload and performance expectations clearly, they can lead with empathy and action. And when employees take regular time off, retention and wellbeing improve—along with business results.
View 4 Statistics on Quiet Cracking at Work for key stats on quiet cracking and why it matters for your workforce.
In Erica Dhawan’s book, Get Big Things Done, she defines Connectional Intelligence as the ability to combine knowledge, networks, and relationships to drive meaningful results. In today’s busy workplace, it’s not just what you know—it’s how well you connect that turns good ideas into big outcomes. Strong Connectional Intelligence within a team strengthens workplace morale and productivity by impacting four key attributes of high-performance cultures: Value Visibly – People perform better when they know their contributions matter. Leaders who highlight strengths, acknowledge effort, and celebrate progress create a culture where great work becomes contagious. Communicate Carefully – In an age of nonstop messages, clarity is a competitive advantage. Thoughtful communication reduces confusion, prevents conflict, and ensures that everyone moves forward with shared understanding. Collaborate Confidently – Connectional Intelligence flourishes when people feel empowered to contribute. Confident collaboration means inviting diverse perspectives, leveraging individual superpowers, and creating space for smart problem-solving. Trust Totally – Trust is the anchor of all high-performing teams. When leaders show reliability, transparency, and empathy, people take risks, share ideas, and stay aligned toward common goals. Connectional Intelligence helps teams innovate faster, break down silos, and accomplish what truly matters. Want to learn more? Visit Erica Dhawan’s website to explore her full body of work and deepen your understanding of Connectional Intelligence.
When people hear “psychological safety,” they often imagine a workplace where everything feels easy and conflict-free. But that’s not what true psychological safety is — and it’s not what high-performing teams need. As leadership expert R. Michael Anderson points out, work and life include tough days, unexpected problems, and moments that stretch us. A psychologically safe workplace doesn’t remove those realities. Instead, it gives people the confidence and support to face them. A safe workplace is one where employees can struggle without fear of embarrassment… try new skills without being put down… ask questions, make mistakes, and keep moving forward. It’s a place where people know their leader is behind them — not by preventing discomfort, but by helping them learn through it. Psychological safety isn’t about coddling or creating a predictable bubble. Real safety looks like this: · You may hear difficult feedback, but it helps you grow. · You are encouraged to take risks, and supported when you slip. · You are stretched beyond your comfort zone, and guided along the way. When leaders create this balance — support plus stretch — people build resilience, confidence, and higher performance. To explore more of these ideas, visit R. Michael Anderson's website .