You do not lose your best people overnight.
It starts quietly.
When you ask them to clean up
after poor performance.
When you “reward” them with more work
because they are “the only ones who can.”
When you keep loading them up
because they are “so reliable.”
When they help out of malasakit,
you call it overstepping.
Yet you volunteer them everywhere
because “the organization needs them.”
When job scopes slowly expand,
and suddenly, work that was never theirs
becomes “part of the role.”
You stretch them for out-of-scope work,
but hesitate to fight for their raise,
their bonus,
their promotion.
You postpone recognition to “next cycle.”
You offer small increases 5% increase,
while their workload grows by 50%
You cite “budget constraints”
instead of acknowledging their real value.
Your best people will accept this, for a while.
Because strong performers are loyal.
But one day, they notice the imbalance.
And when they do,
they do not complain loudly.
They stay professional.
They deliver.
They smile in meetings.
Until one day, they do not.
Because burnout does not explode.
It fades.
Quietly.
Take your top performers for granted,
and you lose the ones carrying the real weight.
The ones making it look easy.
The ones protecting the team from crisis.
The ones creating space for others to breathe.
Their reliability is why systems hold.
Their commitment is why leaders can step away.
Ever notice how things feel heavier
when they take leave?
That is not coincidence.
At minimum, compensate them fairly.
Better yet, value them consistently.
Occasional “good job” is appreciated,
but it does not replace growth, trust, or opportunity.
Because if you do not build a place
where your best people can thrive,
They will build a life
where they are valued.