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Watching the Olympics is one of my favorite things to do. For two weeks, I become obsessed not only with the sporting events themselves, but also with the athletes’ stories. People who have been training their whole lives for a few seconds or a few minutes, who show us what it means to be determined and resilient on the biggest stage. This year, I was drawn to figure skater Alysa Liu. Her story is bold. She stepped away from figure skating in 2022, at just 16 years old, leaving many who follow the sport stunned. After all, she had already won two U.S. national titles and had competed on the world stage.

At the time, she said she just wanted to be a normal teenager, and after hearing her tell her story, I knew she was burned out. Her decision sparked debate in the sports world. Was it too soon? Was it wasted potential? Was she quitting at her peak?

One of the most striking aspects of Liu’s story isn’t that she burned out. It’s that she had the self-awareness and support to pause. That quitter label hits hard and fast, but research provides insights into why people quit. Employees may feel pushed away from their current roles (e.g., I’m bored with my work, I feel unsupported, or work is dominating my life) or pulled toward something new (e.g., I can reset my life and start over, I’ll be recognized for the impact of my work somewhere else, or my values will better align with a new company). These pushes and pulls underscore four big reasons why people leave:

To get out (I want to leave a toxic culture, a bad manager, or a dead-end job)

To regain control (I need to rebalance; I need more flexibility or........

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