Episode Overview

Episode Title: #370: Is Burnout Affecting Your Team?
Podcast: Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast
Host: John Maxwell (Represented by co-hosts Perry Holly & Chris Goede)
Date: November 13, 2025

This episode explores the nuanced issue of burnout within teams, introducing the concept of "quiet cracking"–where employees silently struggle emotionally and mentally while still performing their roles. Perry Holly and Chris Goede discuss why this phenomenon is on the rise, how it differs from “quiet quitting,” and what leaders can do to spot, address, and prevent it. The episode is filled with research-backed insights, practical strategies, and heartfelt leadership anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding “Quiet Cracking” vs. “Quiet Quitting”

• Definition: Quiet cracking is a gradual, often unnoticed decline in wellbeing leading to disengagement, unlike quiet quitting where employees pull back intentionally.
• Research Statistics:
  • Over 54% of employees feel unhappy at work to some degree (Talent LMS study). [03:08]
  • 77% of executives say AI increases productivity, but 88% observe lost productivity due to employee suffering (Upwork). [03:08]
• Core Insight: Quiet cracking is more insidious, happening “right under the leader’s nose.” It’s an involuntary response to ongoing pressure, not a choice to disengage. [04:20]

Notable Quote:

"Quiet cracking isn't like quiet quitting. It's an involuntary emotional and mental breakdown happening right under the leader's nose."
– Chris Goede [04:20]

2. Signs and Symptoms of Quiet Cracking

• Gradual onset; burnout sneaks in like "a small nick that spreads across a windshield." [06:00]
• Symptoms may include:
  • Lack of motivation
  • Irritability
  • Reduced creativity and collaboration
  • Slower decision-making
  • Increased mistakes [08:26]
  • Emotional withdrawal
  • Feeling useless or angry

Memorable Moment:

“They look okay on the outside, they may be frazzled and tired, but they look okay...inside, how they're feeling is a bit fractured.”
– Perry Holly [06:03]

• Gallup Estimates: Burnout and disengagement contribute to $438 billion in lost productivity. [07:06]

3. Causes and Environmental Factors

• Converging factors include:
  • Economic uncertainty and job market shifts
  • The accelerated pace and pressure brought by technology and AI [07:06]
  • Lack of formal AI training–only 1 in 4 companies offer it [04:20]
  • Shrinking learning & development budgets
  • Poor alignment with individual team member needs (recognition, communication, growth opportunities)
  • Overwhelming number of digital tools and communication platforms [09:52]

Notable Quote:

“It’s not about our teams feeling overworked…it’s about them feeling overwhelmed.”
– Chris Goede [09:52]

4. Recognizing & Addressing Burnout as a Leader

• Recognizing Quiet Cracking: Leaders must look for subtle changes–dips in energy, increased mistakes, or less engagement. "This one causes disengagement because of something you’re feeling…by the time you notice, it could be too late." [08:26]
• Emotional check-ins are crucial: Don’t just talk projects, ask “How are you doing with it?” [16:05]
• Body language, missed deadlines, short responses are warning signs.
• It's about "feeling overwhelmed, not just overworked." [09:52]

Memorable Story:

Chris shared how he checked in on a team member he sensed was “off;” the team member at first declined but came back days later to confide. “I think they noticed that I noticed.” [17:48]

5. Practical Strategies for Leaders

A. Invest in Learning and Development

• Particularly around new tools (like AI). It’s more about confidence than skill acquisition. [12:48]

B. Recognition and Connection

• Regular, genuine feedback; monitor for emotional withdrawal
• Recognition builds psychological safety and prevents feelings of isolation [14:12]

C. Psychological Safety

• Foster a culture where feelings can be expressed before reaching breaking point
• Use scales or tools to initiate conversations, e.g., “On a scale of one to ten with no sevens, how do you feel about this right now?” [14:12]

Notable Quote:

“This is not your fault if they feel that way. However, it is your responsibility to be aware of it and then to help them fix it.”
– Chris Goede [14:12]

D. Self-leadership

• Leaders must be healthy and self-aware: “The first person that you have to lead is yourself, which is often the hardest person.” [14:12]

E. Manage Workload and Priorities

• Limit number of simultaneous priorities
• Batch meetings to allow for focused/deep work
• Reduce number of digital tools/platforms running in parallel [19:07]

F. Practice Boundaries & Learn to Say "No"

• Both hosts admitted the struggle, but emphasized its importance to prevent self-inflicted overwhelm. [20:00]

6. Leadership in Action: Anecdotes & Advice

Check-In Stories:

• Noticing a change in a colleague’s behavior, reaching out without prying, and giving time for them to open up [17:48]
• Recognizing and respecting what team members are managing inside and outside work [18:41]

Tactical Advice:

• Know your team’s total project load.
• Allow "executive days" for thinking and creativity uninterrupted by meetings [11:08]
• Recognize when resisting a platform or process change is a sign of overload, not recalcitrance [20:09]

Memorable Quote:

"Quiet cracking may be silent, but it is not. Your people are telling the story every single day. What's the story?"
– Chris Goede [21:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:08: Introduction and research on “quiet cracking”
• 04:20: Differentiating quiet cracking from quiet quitting
• 06:00: The “cracking windshield” metaphor and symptom progression
• 08:26: Signs and implications of burnout
• 09:52: Overwhelm vs. overwork; the impact of too many digital tools and meetings
• 12:48: Practical interventions: learning and development, recognition, feedback
• 14:12: Psychological safety, self-leadership, and the leader’s role in detection and prevention
• 16:05: How leaders can recognize and respond to early signs in their teams
• 19:07: Additional strategies: managing priorities, tools, meetings, boundaries
• 21:09: Final challenge and mindset shift: the difference between being overworked and overwhelmed

Notable Quotes

• "Quiet cracking isn't like quiet quitting. It's an involuntary emotional and mental breakdown happening right under the leader's nose." – Chris Goede [04:20]
• “They look okay on the outside...inside, how they're feeling is a bit fractured.” – Perry Holly [06:03]
• “It's not about our teams feeling overworked…it's about them feeling overwhelmed.” – Chris Goede [09:52]
• “This is not your fault if they feel that way. However, it is your responsibility to be aware of it and then to help them fix it.” – Chris Goede [14:12]
• “The first person that you have to lead is yourself, which is often the hardest person.” – Chris Goede [14:12]
• "Quiet cracking may be silent, but it is not. Your people are telling the story every single day. What's the story?" – Chris Goede [21:09]

Summary Takeaway

Burnout in today’s workplace may not always be loud or obvious. Leaders must develop the awareness and habits to spot, address, and prevent “quiet cracking” before it damages individuals and teams. It’s not just about managing workload, but eliminating overwhelm by fostering psychological safety, providing training and support, and recognizing the subtler cues when someone needs help. Self-leadership and a proactive, caring approach can make all the difference in building resilient, engaged teams.