they started happening very fast , but due to the arrogance of success , they did not see it . Here are some of the most glaring things that began to unravel .
When People Become Silent
A company that was once known for its vibrant culture , where conversation and laughter filled the air and departmental meetings were a marketplace of ideas , suddenly became a shadow of its former self . People stopped contributing their ideas , and instead , they just accepted whatever leadership instructed . If everyone suddenly begins to agree with you , be very careful - you might be on the road to the intensive care unit .
As long as people care , they will want to contribute ideas and lend their voices to discussions . When people go silent , do not take it as a sign of agreement . Many times , it is actually the exact opposite . This silence happens for several reasons . First , it could be because they have seen that their previously expressed opinions were ignored , and they now realize that their voice no longer counts . When people feel that their opinions no longer matter , they stop speaking up .
It could also be due to observing how others who expressed themselves were treated . Take the case of John Bull Inc ., for instance . In this company , there was someone who had been close to the CEO during the early days . As the company grew and the CEO ' s influence increased , he wanted to establish his authority and needed a scapegoat to send a clear message . The thinking was that if someone close to the CEO could be publicly disciplined , it would send a message to everyone . And that is exactly what happened .
During a meeting , this individual expressed his views , just as he had always done , but this time , he received a sharp rebuke . Over time , he was stripped of the power and access he once had . This was a deliberate move meant to instil fear , but the intended result backfired . Instead of increasing respect for the CEO , the rest of the staff simply became silent .
Few things are worse than when people see you driving into a ditch and say nothing . They might even agree with you as you sink deeper into that ditch . So , when people who were once expressive and vocal suddenly go quiet , wake up . There is fire on the mountain .
When The Job No Longer Ignites Excitement And Becomes Just A Means To Pay Bills
This sign is closely related to the earlier indication of silence within the workplace , but here the shift is broader . It ’ s not just about the absence of ideas ; it ’ s about a noticeable change in employees ’ overall attitude toward work . People who were once enthusiastic promoters of the brand suddenly lose their spark . They stop talking about the future with excitement , and instead , work becomes a mundane routine - a way to make a living rather than a source of fulfillment .
When employees lose enthusiasm , it doesn ’ t just show in their ideas ; it shows in their behaviour . You ’ ll notice that those who once arrived early , ready to take on the day , now stroll in late . They no longer stay late to finish a project or go the extra mile to push the company forward . Instead , they do the bare minimum - just enough to keep their job , but not enough to contribute anything meaningful . This shift is dangerous because it signals the erosion of the very culture that made the company successful .
With John Bull Inc ., when I first started interacting with them , if you heard their employees talk about the company , you would feel such a sense of loss that you are not working there . The company once thrived on the energy and passion of its workforce . Early on , the employees were highly engaged , working long hours not because they had to , but because they wanted to . They were genuinely excited about the company ’ s mission and the role they played in driving it forward . This was a place where people felt valued , and their contributions mattered .
However , as the company grew , so did the CEO ’ s need to exert authority . As mentioned earlier , the CEO made a public example of one of his closest associates . This individual had been a champion of the company , but when he was suddenly rebuked and stripped of his power , the message was clear : your loyalty and contribution don ’ t matter as much as the CEO ’ s control . A lot of barriers were also put in place between the leaders and the led . In an attempt to build strong structures to hold up the company , the leadership inadvertently put structures in place that alienated the very people who built the company . The staff watched this unfold , and it changed everything .
Not only did people stop speaking up , but they also began to lose their connection to the company . The excitement that once drove them to contribute beyond their roles turned into a desire to simply survive . Employees who used to stay late brainstorming new ideas now started arriving late and leaving early . They disengaged from the company ' s mission and began to see their roles as just another job - something to pay the bills .
For example , Sarah ( not her real name ), a senior marketing manager at John Bull Inc ., had always been one of the company ' s most vibrant and creative leaders . She had played a key role in several successful campaigns and was known for her outof-the-box thinking . But after witnessing the harsh treatment of her colleague and noticing how leadership dismissed ideas that didn ' t align with their agenda , her enthusiasm waned . She no longer felt empowered to share her ideas , knowing that they would likely be disregarded or , worse , criticized .
Slowly , Sarah started showing up later and later for work . She would take extended lunch breaks , and her output decreased significantly . Instead of pushing her team to innovate , she began checking off tasks and doing the bare minimum required to meet her targets . The spark that once made her a driving force in the company had dimmed . She was no longer working for the love of the job or the brand - she was working for the pay check .
The problem with this shift is that it ’ s contagious . When employees like Sarah , who were once top performers and brand champions , disengage , it affects the entire team . Others see the lack of passion and follow suit , leading to a general decline in morale and productivity . It doesn ’ t happen all at once , but the slow erosion of enthusiasm can eventually cripple a company .
The lesson here is that when employees no longer find excitement in their work and begin treating their job as just a pay check , it ’ s a sign of deeper issues within the organization . It could be the result of poor leadership , a lack of recognition ,