When the Leader Checks Out: The Withdrawal Causing Quiet Calamity

Join Sarah and Kedren to explore the phenomenon of leaders withdrawing due to a perceived and persistent  lack of agency and efficacy.  This withdrawal is hitting the world-changers hard.  Leaders who have been fueled by hope and the pursuit of ideals often motivate themselves and others through the conviction that together, they could be positive change agents.  When circumstances align to prevent progress, how do leaders hold the tension, stay engaged, and continue to inspire others?  Sarah and Kedren discuss critical leadership skills necessary for this moment in history, including learning how to hold the tension, stay in the middle, accept what is, be realistically optimistic, and persist.  Negative Capability mindsets and behaviors are more important than ever when the seemingly rational adaptation is to check out, give up, stop pushing, and withdraw.  Leaders can 'quiet quit' too, with the potential of derailing movements, teams, and companies.  Work Wisdom is always grateful to Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg for her insightful contributions to our field, but never more thankful than for her very timely March 2026 HBR article that illuminates the widespread phenomenon of leaders losing agency and its subsequent implications for their leadership. To learn more about Work Wisdom, visit www.workwisdomllc.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram (@workwisdom).