168. MiniCast: Not Burned Out, Just Bored: Why High Performers Leave and How to Keep Them

Episode Summary

Burnout gets a lot of attention in the workplace, but what about boredom?

In this episode, I explore the other reason high performers quietly leave organizations they once loved: underutilization. I’ll walk you through real stories from leaders I’ve worked with, share insights from my national research, and break down the Stretch Capacity™ framework to help you create growth opportunities without overwhelming your team.

You’ll learn:

• Why “not feeling stretched” can lead to disengagement and turnover

• How leaders can provide challenge, autonomy, and advancement (even during tough times)

• The link between trust, innovation, and stretch

Whether you lead a team of two or two thousand, this episode will help you rethink how you support and retain your top talent.

🎧 Listen in and ask yourself: are your people truly burned out… or just bored?

00:00 Introduction to Stretch Capacity

00:27 Understanding Stretch Capacity Zones

00:46 The Importance of Stretching Even in Burnout

01:14 Real-Life Examples of Stretching at Work

02:12 The Consequences of Not Stretching Employees

03:44 Encouraging Innovation and Growth

04:19 Personal Stories of Seeking Growth

05:08 Final Thoughts on Stretch Capacity

06:16 Conclusion and Call to Action

Ready to help your team grow without burning out—or fading out?

If you're seeing signs of disengagement, turnover, or missed potential, it might not be burnout—it might be boredom. The right kind of stretch could make all the difference.

Let’s talk about how I can help your organization create a culture where people stretch, grow, and stay—through a keynote, workshop, or leadership training.

Prefer to start with a resource?
Download my Leadership & Engagement Blueprint—a practical, research-backed guide for helping teams thrive with trust, innovation, and stretch.

 And follow along for more insights on resilience, performance, and workplace happiness:

Instagram @speakmichelle & @bethehappyist
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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
On previous videos, we have talkedabout the importance of stretch
capacity with your employees today.
I'm gonna revisit that principle, butI also wanna share with you something
that we have found as we've startedtalking to leaders, organizations and
e employees all across the country.
To, as a refresher stretch capacityis the ability to be able to stretch
so that you can grow and at differentphases and different stages of.

(00:22):
Your life and your employees,you'll find that they are able
to stretch at different levels.
There are three stretch capacity zones,and the optimal zone is the one that has
the, the, the greatest amount of stretch.
When things are going well intheir personal lives, when they're
going well at the office, theyhave the ability to stretch, to
grow, take on new projects, have.
Areas of advancement and responsibility,and that is key and important.

(00:46):
There are other times wherethey're in burnout and they are
not able to stretch very much.
They are doing all that they can.
They are still responsible for gettingtheir jobs done and doing their
work, but they might not be ableto take on anything extra, but we.
We need to resist the urge thatwhen people are in those places
to take all the stretch away, theystill need opportunities to stretch.

(01:09):
Because when we stretch, wegrow even in burnout and even
in the rest and recovery zones.
So, but one of the principlesthat we're finding is I asked
a question on LinkedIn about.
What they loved most about howtheir bosses stretched them.
And I saw story after story afterstory of people who left jobs and
responsibilities because they didn'tfeel like they were stretched.

(01:32):
They didn't feel like they were able touse their talents, gifts, and skills.
They felt like they weresilenced in some places.
They also felt like they weren'tgiven an opportunity to try
something new or to innovate.
And one particular storyhas stood out to me.
I had an opportunity to do some workwith a. An organization where I came
in to do a bunch of trainings fortheir external sales force and also

(01:53):
for their internal leadership team.
And through the course of thoseconversations, I also had the
opportunity to do some coaching for theirC-Suite and those top level leaders.
And Interesting, it was, it wasinteresting to really hear about
how their dynamics were working asa team, but also how they interacted
with the CEO and I found that.
Every single person on the leadershipteam was being stretched in

(02:16):
appropriate ways except for one.
And in my conversations with her,it was really interesting because
she would say, I'm actually quitebored and I'm not bored because I'm.
Not doing anything.
She was incredibly busy, but she was boredbecause she was continually trying to put
together ideas, proposals, and plans thatwould stretch her, stretch the company.

(02:37):
But whenever she met with theCEO about it, he always said,
no, no, we're not doing that.
Or No, you don't need to worry about that.
No, just worry about this over here.
And what she shared with me wasthat she didn't feel like she
was using her talents and gifts.
To help the company.
And she didn't feel like she wasgiven opportunities to stretch
and grow, and she was remainingstagnant in her professional life.
And I, I found this so fascinating.

(02:59):
She, it was almost like, if you thinkabout the resistance bands that we talk
about when we're using stretch capacity,it's almost like Hersch were cut.
Like there wasn't even anopportunity for her to stretch.
She wasn't given the abilityto be able to find ways for.
Them for her to stretch and growand as a result, she ultimately
left the company in the end.
Now there were probably some teamdynamics that could be addressed.

(03:19):
Maybe there was a chemistry betweenthe CEO and this particular leader that
made it tricky for him to trust her.
There could have been a number ofdifferent reasons, and while I could never
really get to the bottom of it, her story.
She's not alone.
There were a number of people whoresponded to my LinkedIn question about
times when they didn't feel stretchedand didn't feel like they were utilizing

(03:40):
their talents and skills were notbeing utilized within the organization.
And so as you think about how you stretchyour employees, I want you to think about
how you're giving them opportunities.
To innovate how you're givingthem opportunities to grow, how
you're giving them opportunitiesto think outside the box, because
that actually is really critical.
It also is a reminder that individualscontinue to need at every level

(04:03):
of the organization, opportunitiesto grow within the company and
when they hit that ceiling.
And they feel like they can't growanymore, they might feel stifled.
And if they don't feel like theycan find that type of growth within
the organization, they will goand look for it somewhere else.
I have a dear friend who's worked fora number of different companies and he
worked for the same organization for.

(04:24):
Many years.
He loved their mission, heloved what they were doing.
He loved the opportunity to be partof something great, but for him
personally, there were no growth andadvancement opportunities for him.
There was nothing else he could do.
And he said to me, he's like,Michelle, I feel like I'm still
young and I've got another run in me.
I've got another run forleadership opportunities.
I've got another le.

(04:44):
Run for the C-suite.
And he was willing to go to anotherorganization, take a job as a director,
and work his way up to a VP so that hecould have that opportunity to learn and
grow because that was so important to him.
And so he left a job that he loved,a mission he was passionate about,
people that he enjoyed working with,all because he wanted that advancement

(05:06):
and that growth growth opportunity.
The opposite of burnout is notboredom, the opposite of burnout.
Is feeling underutilized and unfulfilled.
And so as you think about each ofyour employees and consider their
different stretch capacities youmight have places where you don't
feel comfortable with them stretching.
Maybe there are aspects of the workthat do need to stay consistent, but be

(05:30):
mindful that every single employee thatis in your organization, whether you are.
They are direct reports to you or whetherthey're direct reports to someone else.
Every employee wants to stretch.
They might not use those words,but they want to advance.
They want to grow.
They want to feel likethey're continuing to learn.
They want to feel like they'recontinuing to provide value.
And so as an organization,what can you do to help?

(05:53):
Every single employee, every level of yourcompany, find those safe stretch areas
that bring innovation to the organization,that bring new life to the organization.
And if nothing else, bringnew life to your employees.
Stretching is good.
Great leaders know how to stretchtheir teams before they snap, and
great leaders know how to stretchtheir teams so they can grow.

(06:16):
I am cheering you on as you considerthe stretch capacity of each of
your employees and also your own.
What is it that you're doing tostretch so that you can grow,
develop, and become stronger inyour personal and professional life?
Thank you for watching and stay tuned.
Make sure you like and subscribeso that you can see our next video.