The DDI research named it "quiet cracking" this year.

I've been watching it in my coaching practice for a long time. What I know about it: the leaders most at risk are the ones whose armor is most intact.

The high performer who has never not figured it out. The executive who can make a difficult call without flinching. The one who always has the answer.

They don't crack loudly. They crack in the space between who they actually are and who the role requires them to perform.

The earliest signal isn't exhaustion. It's a quiet loss of motivation for the things that used to matter.

The meeting that used to energize you. The problem that used to feel interesting. They still happen. You still perform. But something underneath has gone quiet.

That's worth paying attention to — before it decides the next chapter for you.