Loneliness at Work: The Hidden Leadership Challenge No One Talks About
We don’t talk enough about loneliness at the top, or anywhere really.
The CEO, admired and feared in equal measure, finds themselves making decisions that ripple far beyond their own office. Every choice is public, yet the responsibility is deeply personal. There are days when the room falls silent, not out of respect, but because no one quite knows how to ask, “Are you okay?”
Then there’s the start-up owner, celebrated for their courage to leave the herd, only to discover that independence comes with its own kind of isolation. They long for the buzz of old colleagues, but now answer to an audience of one - often a funder, sometimes just their own restless ambition. They chase the freedom they left for, while quietly craving the camaraderie they gave up.
The remote worker joins the conversation too. Some relish the flexibility, others find themselves floating through days with only the quiet hum of a laptop for company. It’s character-building, yes, but is it chipping away at our capacity to connect, to share, to truly belong?
And let’s not forget the new parent. He or She has swapped boardrooms for nurseries, KPIs for sleepless nights, and once tight-knit work friendships now feel distant, their worlds divided by bottle feeds and Zoom meetings. The old tribe moves on, oblivious, while they wrestle with a job description written in invisible ink.
Globally, one in five employees report experiencing loneliness, (that’s 20% of the workforce!!!) according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report.
The Hidden Cost of Loneliness
What binds these stories is not just solitude, but the struggle to be seen and understood. In boardrooms and home offices alike, we are all vulnerable to the quiet ache of feeling alone, even when surrounded by people.
The cost? Creativity suffers. Decisions become heavier. Wellbeing frays. And bit by bit, the culture of a business shifts from open to insular, from brave to brittle.
How to Address Loneliness in the Workplace
We can choose proactive connection over passive isolation. The CEO might seek out a coach, not just for strategy but for truth-telling. The start-up owner can step into a local business community and share the messy bits, not just the wins. Remote workers might trade a day at home for a shared table at a co-working space or set up regular ‘virtual coffees’ that go beyond project updates. However, these are just linear solutions to a complex challenge.
The idea that the solution remains with the individual is short-sighted. Yes, individual accountability has its place, but organisation’s must also take responsibility. What does employee capacity look like? Do employees even have time to engage in social interactions? Are their systems or rhythms set up for connection (and do leaders role model their importance?) If something major occurs in the lives of an employee (like a major weather event or a local tragedy), is anyone paying attention? If a person is off work due to illness, are team members reaching out to see that they’re ok?
It’s vital to look for loneliness not just in ourselves, but in others. When was the last time you checked in with someone, just to ask how they are, without agenda or urgency? When you haven’t heard from someone in a while, perhaps nobody has.
Loneliness isn’t a sign of weakness, nor is it inevitable. It’s simply a signal - that as much as we value independence and high performance, we are still human, and humans need each other.
Maybe the real leadership act is not just to shoulder the burden, but to start the conversation.
Who are you reaching out to this week? And who might be waiting for you to notice?
Want to address loneliness at work? Contact us for resources or coaching that supports leaders facing their own or their team members’ loneliness.