Why 40 Million People Quit Their Job in 2024

Dr. CK Bray
41 minutes ago
2 min read

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Many leaders I work with tell me some version of the same story. They like their people. They care about culture. They invest in engagement surveys, development plans, and purpose statements. And yet, something still feels flat. People show up. They perform. But the energy is missing. Marcus Buckingham challenged why this occurs in his Harvard Business Review article (June-July 2022). He assumes that people disengage because they do not believe in the mission or like their coworkers. His research suggests something far simpler and more uncomfortable. Most people disconnect from work when they rarely get to do the parts of the job they genuinely love and are naturally good at.

This idea of loving your job is often misunderstood. It does not mean loving every task or waking up inspired every morning. That expectation actually creates shame when reality does not match the narrative. Buckingham’s work points to something much more specific. People feel most engaged when, at least some of the time, they get to use their strengths in ways that give them energy. These moments are small but powerful. A conversation that felt natural. A problem you solved intuitively. A meeting where time disappeared because you were fully in it. These are not motivational posters. They are data.

For leaders, this requires a shift from managing roles to noticing people. The most practical question you can ask is not How engaged are you? Or do you like your job? It is what part of your work gives you energy, and which part quietly drains it? When leaders create space for those conversations, patterns emerge. You begin to see where people light up and where they contract. From there, small adjustments matter. Rebalancing responsibilities. Pairing people differently. Letting someone own the part of the work they naturally run toward rather than forcing uniformity in how roles are performed.

What makes this approach powerful is that it respects reality. Work will always include stress, effort, and tasks we tolerate rather than love. But when leaders intentionally design work so people regularly experience moments of strength and energy, resilience increases. Performance improves. And people stay not because they have to, but because something in the work feels like them. Loving your job is not about passion. It is about alignment. And alignment is something leaders can design one conversation at a time.

Now ask yourself the same questions!

*Marcus Buckingham HBR June-July 2022

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