The conversation about quiet quitting continues to resurface. Headlines suggest employees are pulling back, doing the bare minimum, and disengaging from their work. But if we look a little closer, we have to ask a harder question. What if quiet quitting is not the core problem? What if it is the result of something far less discussed but far more damaging: quiet managing, where leaders avoid clarity, accountability, and direct feedback when it matters most?

Recent findings from Gallup show that 62% of employees report being not engaged, and another 15% are actively disengaged. Rather than viewing this as a workforce problem, we should consider it a leadership issue. When managers go quiet by failing to set expectations, address performance, or coach consistently, teams follow their lead.

Quiet managing happens when leaders avoid the very conversations that build accountability and trust. Feedback becomes vague. Expectations are implied rather than defined. Underperformance is tolerated because addressing it feels uncomfortable.

Instead of coaching, there is silence. Instead of clarity, there is assumption. Instead of accountability, there is avoidance.

When employees do not know what success looks like, they conserve energy. If excellence and mediocrity receive the same response, people adjust their effort accordingly.

Over time, high performers disengage first. They do not make dramatic exits. Instead, they quietly explore other opportunities where leadership is present and expectations are clear.

Research continues to show that the majority of a team’s engagement is tied directly to the manager. Yet organizations still focus their energy on fixing employees instead of strengthening leaders.

The result? Rising turnover, missed deadlines, stalled initiatives, and lost productivity that eventually shows up as lost revenue.

Globally, disengagement costs trillions in lost productivity each year. Those numbers are staggering, but the impact is felt much closer to home. In Michigan and across the country, employers are competing for skilled talent while quietly allowing leadership gaps to push strong contributors away.

If managers are unclear, inconsistent, or invisible, no program will compensate for that gap.

If you lead an organization, this responsibility sits with you. It might be time to audit your leadership bench. Identify where feedback is infrequent, expectations are fuzzy, or accountability is weak.

Invest in coaching. Provide practical training on performance conversations. Make accountability part of your culture, not a reaction to crisis.

The solution lies in strengthening leadership at every level. That is something firmly within our control and far more impactful than simply increasing the volume of messaging to employees.

At ASE, we work with employers every day who are committed to building stronger leadership pipelines. When managers gain the confidence and skill to lead with clarity, engagement rises naturally. Our Principles and Practices of Supervision courses prepare managers to step fully into their roles with practical tools they can apply immediately. The program covers core supervisory responsibilities such as setting clear expectations, delivering constructive feedback, managing performance, handling conflict, and building accountability within teams. Participants leave with a stronger understanding of employment fundamentals and, more importantly, the communication skills required to lead effectively rather than quietly.

For organizations seeking deeper impact, we also offer customized coaching and group leadership development solutions that strengthen leadership capability at every level. Whether through structured training, one on one coaching, or facilitated team development, ASE helps employers move managers from avoidance to action and from silence to strong, consistent leadership.