When you should 'burn a bridge' in your career and 5 ways to do it

"But that advice was followed during a different time and for workplaces that were designed to keep you in line, not further your career. In today's fast-moving workforce, clinging to outdated relationships, toxic workplaces, or unfair structures isn't loyalty. It's self-sabotaging. It's time to rethink what was once considered the norm. Sometimes burning a bridge isn't reckless. It's strategic. It's the first step toward building something better in your career."

"The reason for this advice? To protect the system, not you. To make sure you don't disrupt the corporate hierarchy, question what was once considered normal, or hold higher powers accountable. But when you're trauma-bonded to bad bosses, toxic workplaces and colleagues, or exploitative industries, staying connected keeps you stuck. It prevents advancement. It robs you of the energy you need to move forward."

"Walk away, with both feet. If you're constantly keeping one foot in the past and one in the present, you'll never fully be able to march toward your future. When you make the decision to break free from a place or a person holding you back, you must commit to the ending. Any ambivalence will send mixed messages to what you no longer want in your life and to yourself."

Traditional advice to never burn bridges prioritized maintaining ties and protecting corporate systems rather than individual advancement. Modern fast-moving workforces make clinging to outdated relationships, toxic workplaces, or unfair structures self-sabotaging. The original phrase came from the military and has been reframed into never cutting ties, even when those ties choke growth. Trauma-bonding to bad bosses and exploitative industries keeps people stuck, prevents advancement, and depletes energy. Walking away is complicated but sometimes necessary. Strategic bridge-burning can enable constructing a better career path. One recommended approach is to commit fully to leaving and to sever contact to avoid ambivalence.

Read at Fast Company