Last week, we talked about the quiet art of stepping back at work. This week, we’re exploring loud quitting: making a visible departure from a role when staying would compromise your values. Loud quitting isn’t about burning bridges or acting out of frustration—it’s a bold yet respectful stand for your principles and growth.
To loud quit with integrity, it’s important to communicate your reasons clearly. This kind of exit underscores the professional values you stand for, both to yourself and to others. It’s about signaling that your well-being and alignment matter more than staying in an environment that makes you feel like you’re betraying yourself.
Earlier this year, a client came to me for advice on handling a challenging workplace. They believed their organization was doing something out of alignment with its own values and they felt trapped between leaving quietly or sticking it out to avoid “causing a scene.” I recognized this dilemma from my own career, where staying felt like betraying my core values, but leaving abruptly risked damaging relationships I also valued.
It was an important lesson to learn that a well-handled loud quit requires clarity and a thoughtful, respectful approach. It is certainly one of the hardest skills and I’ve rarely seen it done well but it is possible to exit as a positive, principled stand rather than a break.
Deciding to loud quit starts with an honest internal check-in. Ask yourself: Does staying align with my values? Am I here out of purpose, or just out of habit or obligation? This self-reflection helps ensure that your departure is grounded in integrity, not resentment. Leaders, especially, face pressure to stay loyal, but honoring your principles is essential when an environment no longer aligns with who you are or where you’re headed.
Preparation is key to loud quitting without creating unnecessary conflict. Plan what you’ll say with clarity: explain how the misalignment impacts your values or growth, framing the conversation as a divergence rather than a critique. Respect the relationships and achievements you’re leaving behind. Acknowledge what the organization has meant to you without diminishing your reasons for leaving. Anticipate potential responses, and aim to approach any concerns from a place of understanding.
When it’s time to share your decision, be direct but considerate. Center the conversation around the principles guiding your departure, avoiding any tone that belittles the organization. By focusing on your values, you’re setting a constructive tone, which leaves the door open for maintaining relationships. You cannot control how others will see you or if they will continue to want a relationship with you---but you can control how you see yourself and behave in the ways that make you feel strongest.
Loud quitting is a difficult and powerful choice, a message of self-respect that sets a new standard for principled departures. Done well, it will honor the values that have guided your leadership from the start.