Addressing Workplace Loneliness: 4 Leadership
Must-Dos for Fostering Connection and Belonging
Over the past few years, we’ve had to tackle several challenges and hardships in the workplace. And this is predicted to continue, which is why we must explore the impact. The intense stress, change, and uncertainty is giving rise to a growing emotional undercurrent—one that is increasingly impacting team morale, mental health, and long-term engagement: loneliness in the workplace.
Multiple studies have confirmed that workplace loneliness is at an all-time high. Across industries, seniority levels, and identities, professionals are silently struggling with feelings of disconnection, isolation, and invisibility in their work environments. This can look like:
- Feelings of deep disconnection from one’s leaders and colleagues
- Sitting through team meetings without speaking a word and feeling like no one noticed
- Questioning whether one’s contributions matter
- Feeling unsupported or emotionally distant, even while creating output/productivity
The impact of this quiet crisis is significant: diminished feelings of belonging and inclusion; increased stress, anxiety, and burnout; lower job satisfaction and retention; decreased performance and innovation; and serious health outcomes.
And let’s be clear: this is a leadership issue, one that we must immediately address.
Thankfully, there are several human-centered actions leaders can take to address the loneliness epidemic and create cultures of belonging and connection—so that team members feel seen, supported, and engaged. Here are a few must-do’s to get you started.
Must-Do #1: Normalize Conversations About Loneliness
Workplace loneliness is rarely discussed within organizations, largely because it’s associated with “weakness,” a lack of individual motivation, and an inability to integrate. This stigma leads many employees, especially those from underrepresented communities, to suffer in silence. But the reality is that loneliness is a deeply human experience, especially in the workplace. In high performing and fast paced workplaces, where productivity is prioritized over connection, loneliness can easily take root, even in people who appear to be thriving on the outside.
As leaders, it’s up to us to break this pattern. We must normalize open, compassionate conversations about emotional well-being, including loneliness. Here are a few ways to make this happen:
- Starting individual team meetings by doing a well-being check-in—use language like, “I know the last few weeks have been stressful, and we’ve not had a chance to connect. How are you doing?”
- Regularly checking in with team members about how they’re doing—use language like, “Haven’t seen you in a few days—how are you?”
- Sharing your own personal and professional challenges—use language like, “I’ve been so busy with ABC lately, I’m feeling disconnected with you all. Let’s start today’s meeting with a personal check-in on how we’re each doing. I’ll go first…”
Not surprisingly, all these suggested actions directly connect with Must-Do #2. And on that note…
Must-Do #2: Lead with Authenticity and Vulnerability
When leaders are authentic—and vulnerable—in how they work and lead, team members feel safe to do the same back. And this both helps to address feelings of workplace loneliness, and prevent it from happening in the first place. In fact, being honest about your own moments of disconnection in the workplace—for example, talking about when you first became a leader and felt alone—can go a long way.
As we’ve shared before, being authentic as a leader doesn’t mean oversharing your personal life or being emotionally raw at all times. It means choosing to offer more about your challenges and struggles with your team members, so that they can experience you as a whole human being, and not just a job title.
Teaching about the importance of leading with authenticity and vulnerability is at the core of what we do at bci. Given how critical authentic leadership is for unlocking belonging, connection, inclusion, engagement, and trust in the workplace—and interrupting loneliness—we have extensive resources on this must-do, which we share at the end of this blog.
Must-Do #3: Create Opportunities for Meaningful Interaction, Not Just Productivity
Workplace culture is built, intentionally or unintentionally, through what we prioritize, reward, and make time for. And in many organizations, the unspoken message is clear: output matters more than deep connection. But, as we know, without connection, output suffers in the long term. High quality, sustainable performance happens when team members trust one another, care for each other, and feel a shared sense of purpose and presence. That doesn’t happen by accident. It must be designed.
This means that we, as leaders, must mindfully and deliberately create team experiences that foster meaningful interaction outside of direct workplace productivity (like, team meetings, brainstorming sessions, etc. that are about work output). Some suggestions for meaningful relationship-building experiences include:
- Weekly social/check-in hangs
- Monthly team events
- Team rituals—like shoutouts, personal story rounds, or gratitude moments—that build cohesion
- Using team chat boards (e.g. Slack, Teams, WhatsApp) for social/personal sharing
Must-Do #4: Embed Belonging Practices into Everyday Leadership
One of the primary reasons professionals experience loneliness at work is because they lack a sense of belonging. They feel disconnected from their leaders, team members, and the organizational mission. This is precisely why we, as leaders, must focus on cultivating belonging in every interaction we have—every single day. When belonging becomes part of “how we do things around here,” team members are far less likely to experience feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
Here are some practical ways to lead with belonging, every day:
- Generously share affirmations—acknowledge contributions in meetings, express gratitude, and offer praise to team members by name to signal they are seen and valued
- Create equitable space in conversations—make it a practice to invite voices that haven’t been heard to share, by intentionally passing the mic to those who may be overlooked
- Demonstrate interest and curiosity—ask team members about their personal and professional experiences, and when they share, show that you care by practicing mindful listening and posing follow up questions
- Center empathy in your leadership choices—when making decisions that impact your team—deadlines, workload, flexibility—pause to reflect on how your choices might make people feel excluded, undermined, or invisible
Together, these four must-dos remind us that addressing workplace loneliness isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about everyday acts of humanity and intention.
Leaders who choose to show up with authenticity, courage, and intention, motivate their team members to show up as more than just “workers.” And in doing so, they interrupt feelings of loneliness, and create a space where people feel connected—like they belong.
Finally, here’s a question we’ll leave you with: what’s one small action you can take this week to help someone on your team feel a deeper sense of belonging?
Do our words resonate with you? We would love to hear from you! Please send us a message through our Contact Us page, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Reach out to the bci team here to learn more about our range of programming on creating belonging in the workplace.
- Blogs:
- The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace
- 7 Leadership Must-Dos For Creating Belonging During Difficult Times
- Shift Leadership – A New Paradigm for Unlocking Engagement, Belonging, Empathy, and Psychological Safety in Workplaces
- 5 Steps for Creating Belonging in the Workplace
- Your Core Wisdom Will Make You a More Empathetic Leader and Team Member
- Unlock Your Authentic Self and Claim Your Belonging
- Interrupt Loneliness at Work By Cultivating Belonging
- Tip Sheets:
- Article:
- Worksheets:
- Playlists: