When Quitting Feels Like the Only Option

(And Why That Should Piss You Off)

Victoria Canham • 5 March 2025 • 3 min read

"Mean-spirited people can single-handedly suck the energy and life out of a workplace." – Robert I. Sutton

Last week, my friend had to quit his job. Not because he wasn’t good at it. Not because he wasn’t delivering. But because his boss made it impossible for him to stay. Overbearing. Controlling. Micromanaging every breath. The kind of boss who confuses ‘power’ with ‘competence’ and rules with fear because they’re terrified of being exposed as incompetent themselves.

And now? He’s jobless. His team is in chaos. The company will suffer. And naturally, it’s landed on my plate—because helping people navigate this mess is what I do.

And honestly? I’m livid. Because this isn’t a one-off story. I hear it every damn day, and it infuriates me because these are talented employees and leaders who deserve better - no question about it. And my friend in particular did not deserve this - I know him and his work well enough to know for sure.

The Great Talent Exodus (And Why It’s a Leadership Problem, Not a ‘People’ Problem)

2025 is proving one thing loud and clear: people are done. Done with toxicity. Done with feeling like cogs in someone else’s dysfunctional machine. Done with leaders who don’t lead, managers who micromanage, and workplaces that suck the life out of them. (Side note: Are the roaring 20s repeating themselves?)

Companies keep asking, "Why is retention such an issue?" As if the answer is some mystical economic force beyond their control.

It’s not. It’s bad leadership. Full stop.

Talented, driven professionals aren’t quitting work. They’re quitting bullshit. And if you’re sitting there reading this, fists clenched because it sounds a little too close to home—guess what? You’re not wrong, broken or any other over used adjective crap “leaders” use to describe ill-prepared teams. You’re not weak. And you’re almost certainly not the problem (Managers - disagree? Come fight me).

But Wait, Isn’t Quitting a Cop-Out?

The ‘never quit’ mentality runs deep. We were raised on it. "Stay the course". "Be resilient". "Don’t be a quitter".

Let's be fucking for real— careers should NEVER be about tolerating abuse. It’s not about gritting your teeth through a soul-destroying job because “that’s just how it is.” True resilience is knowing when to walk away from something that’s actively damaging you. It’s having the courage to say, “I deserve better,” and then actually doing something about it.

So What the Hell Do You Do Next?

If you’re reading this and it’s hitting that raw nerve—if you’ve got a boss who makes you question your own worth, if you’re lying awake at night dreading the next workday, if you’re ‘THIS FUCKING’ close to walking out but you don’t know what comes next—listen up.

You have two options:

1. Stay. But on your terms. Set boundaries like your sanity depends on it (because it does). Start planning your exit while getting everything you can out of the role. Use it. Milk it. Take what you need before you leave.

2. Get out. Not recklessly, but strategically. And, if you don’t know where to start, that’s where I come in.

Because you can have a career that excites you. You can work with leaders who empower you instead of suffocating you. And you can build a life where quitting a job doesn’t feel like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

So, if this is you—if you’re sick of playing a game that feels rigged against you—book a call with me - we can create your "get out quickly/ survival plan".

Let’s get you out of the mess and into something better. Because life’s too short to waste it working for arseholes.

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Victoria Canham - Your Performance Partner

Victoria is an ICF-accredited certified professional coach, who offers personalised performance coaching. With a background in change management and countless hours of professional coaching training and experience, I made the big switch to full-time coaching in 2020. I know what it is like to suddenly have the rug pulled out from under you while you're busy making other plans, as a result, I now help people like you to bounce back from adversity and major setbacks to emerge stronger and better than ever before. Our clients have transformed from feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges to confident, goal-driven individuals who navigate life's obstacles with ease. They've achieved their personal and professional objectives and embodied peak performance in all aspects of life. You too can experience this transformation. This is your moment. Your chance to take control, to choose growth over stagnation, achievement over inaction. This is your opportunity to prove to yourself that you're not defined by your challenges—you're defined by how you rise above them. Are you ready to transform your life and achieve peak performance?