When a team is burning out, it rarely shows up as someone raising their hand and saying, “I’m burned out.” It usually shows up as subtle drift. Fewer proactive ideas. More mistakes. More rework. Less ownership. More tension. A quiet cynicism that wasn’t there before. People still show up, but the energy changes. The team becomes functional, not sharp. Leaders often respond in one of two ways: they lower standards or they add pressure. Both can backfire. Strong leadership is n