Why we fall out of love, with our job

Happy Thursday,

Have you noticed someone on your team who just doesn’t have that spark for their job like they did before? They’re still showing up, still loyal to the organisation, the work, the vision. But something feels off. The energy isn’t the same. Quietly, slowly, they’ve fallen out of love with the job they once loved. That could be red flag. So let’s talk about how it happens and what you can do about it.

🧠 LEARN something.

Good people don’t fall out of love with their jobs overnight. It happens through a series of small, often invisible breaches of trust. These are micro-betrayals: unkept promises, missed feedback, a development opportunity that never eventuated, a team celebration that forgot to credit them, or subtle shifts in relationships. Each one chips away at what we call the psychological contract between employee and organisation. Unlike a written contract, this one is invisible. A silent ledger of expectations and reality. Consciously or subconsciously, your people are always updating that ledger, where you are either in credit or in deficit. Research shows these repeated micro-betrayals erode engagement and trust. Each one whispers the same message: “You’re not valued the way you thought you were.”

These micro-betrayals often seem trivial and are usually unintentional. Nobody slams doors. Nobody storms out. And most of the time, you won’t get feedback from the person whose trust was chipped away. But over time, those small cracks add up. The job that once felt like a source of pride and purpose starts to feel transactional. Pay and promotions can’t fix this overnight either. Good leaders know this: trust isn’t built on making promises, but on keeping them. That’s why they obsess over clarity and consistency in even the smallest commitments. Because when the psychological contract breaks, it’s very hard to repair. So it’s much better to proactively protect and nurture that contract.

🤔 REFLECT on an idea.

This applies in leadership as much as life. It’s not about grand gestures or big speeches. The best leaders don’t win through dramatic moments. They win by doing the small things well and doing them consistently. When it comes to leadership, habits beat hype; systems beat slogans, discipline beats desire, and promises kept matter more than promises made.

😊 SMILE a little.

“Falling out of love with your job feels like being ignored by your best friend… except they still expect you to go the extra mile and be their sober driver at 2am in the morning.”🤣

✅ DO IT to get results.

It’s hard to measure something that’s unspoken, right? Luckily, research gives some insights to make this more tangible for us as leaders. So here are six unwritten promises that impact the psychological contract between a person and their employer. Ask yourself - which one of those promises have I made, and NOT kept. How would you fare, if I was to audit your time right now?

1. Growth – “We’ll help you grow and develop in your role.”

2. Recognition – “Your effort will be seen and valued.”

3. Fairness – “You’ll be treated consistently and equitably.”

4. Support – “You’ll have the tools, time, resources to succeed.”

5. Voice – “Your ideas and input will matter, and we’ll act on them.”

6. Security – “We’ll be honest with you about changes that affect you.”

🌱 How we can support you and your team.

We provide strategic leadership solutions tailored to align with your business strategy, size, and budget. We can support your with:

• 1:1 Leadership and Performance Coaching

• Team Coaching, for high performing teams

• 1:1 Health & Lifestyle Coaching for busy stressed leaders.

• Workshops, offsites and team development.

• Or our flagship individual Leadership Coaching Programs.

Kia pai tō wiki

Kenny Bhosale

CEO & Founder, The Bridge Leaders