Every person has what I call a grit tank — the emotional, mental, and behavioral energy we use to stretch ourselves throughout the day. It’s the capacity we draw from when we need to adapt, problem-solve, perform, regulate stress, collaborate, or simply “be on.” For decades, the workplace poured almost the entire grit tank into their jobs. It was culturally respected, even admired. Work came first, and everything else got whatever was left. But that came with a cost. People came home emotionally exhausted and unable to be present. Parents had nothing left for their children. Spouses became roommates. Individuals turned to numbing, escape, or burnout just to cope. Identities collapsed into job titles because there was no energy left to form a life outside of work. And slowly, we started to realize that work was taking more than it was giving back. The workforce didn’t become less motivated. It became more aware. The shift we’re seeing now is not lack of work ethic — it’s reallocation. People are choosing to put their grit tank toward being present in their relationships, their health, their personal identity, and their life outside the office. They’re no longer willing to hand over all of their emotional and mental reserves to a job that doesn’t align with who they are or what they value. This part matters: Work is still work. It will never replace the fulfillment that comes from the relationships and identities outside of it. Companies have tried to soften the burden with culture perks, more PTO, flexible schedules, and “we’re like a family” messaging. But none of those things address the real issue: When a role requires someone to stretch too far away from their natural wiring, their grit tank drains faster than they can refill it. That is where disengagement begins. Not in laziness. Not in entitlement. In misalignment. People are not resisting work. They are resisting becoming someone they’re not in order to do it. We are now seeing the raw version of people. The version that won’t pretend exhaustion is commitment. The version that won’t stretch endlessly to match expectations built for someone wired differently. The version that understands life is bigger than a job. And if leaders misunderstand this shift, they misdiagnose the behavior. They call it lack of effort when really, it’s energy protection. So here’s what leaders actually need to do: Stop interpreting energy protection as disengagement. Start designing roles where the natural version of a person can succeed. Reduce unnecessary behavioral stretch. Focus on environment, not motivation. Motivation is a result of good design, not the starting point. Because here’s the truth: People will work hard — when the work doesn’t require them to become someone they aren’t. The question isn’t: “How do we get people to work harder?” The question is: “How do we design roles where people don’t have to sacrifice themselves to perform well?” If your team is drained, quiet, pulling back, or “doing the minimum,” it’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they’re protecting their grit tank. And they should. It’s what sustains identity, relationships, health, creativity, and emotional presence. The shift is not: No one wants to work. The shift is: No one wants to deplete themselves. The future of leadership is understanding this. The future of organizational design is aligning work to people not reshaping people to fit work. Because when people don’t have to use their grit to survive the workday, they finally have energy to contribute, create, and actually live.