From Loneliness to Belonging: Why Leaders Need to Pay Attention

I’ll start with something personal.
I’m 44, I run a company focused on building stronger workplace cultures, and yet, I often feel lonely. Remote work means the small, casual moments of connection are gone: passing a colleague in the hallway, chatting about a TV show before a meeting, or catching up over lunch. Now, some days I can go hours without speaking to anyone outside of scheduled calls. And when the workday ends, I move straight into parenting and housework. It can feel like a lot.

I share this because loneliness isn’t just something happening to “other people.” It’s not limited to people who are isolated, struggling, or introverted. Loneliness is deeply human, and it shows up everywhere, from CEOs to early-career employees.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, one leader put it this way: “It wasn’t that the information was new. It was that I suddenly saw the evidence everywhere—in my team, in our culture, even in myself.” (HBR, 2025)

That line caught my attention because it’s exactly what I’ve been noticing too.

What Exactly Is Loneliness?

Loneliness is not the same as being alone. It’s the gap between the social connection we want and the connection we actually have. You can feel lonely in a crowded office or even while leading a large team. Conversely, someone working remotely in another country might feel deeply connected because of intentional touch points with their colleagues.

The U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a public health epidemic in 2023, warning that chronic disconnection can have the same health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (HHS Advisory, 2023). 

In the workplace, loneliness happens on two levels:

• Individual/team level: A person feels unseen, unsupported, or excluded.

• Organizational level: The culture lacks structures for belonging, leaving employees disconnected even if they’re surrounded by colleagues.

Both matter. And both are the responsibility of leaders.

Why Leaders Should Care

It might seem like loneliness is a private problem. You may think, “That’s not my job to worry about.” But loneliness at work is everyone’s business. It shapes how people feel, how teams work together, and how well the whole company performs.

Leaders feel it too. In fact, stepping into a new leadership role often makes people feel more alone. As Harvard Business Review explains, “Feelings of loneliness are common for first-time leaders because a sense of isolation often comes with their new role” (2023). Even senior leaders can feel lonely—especially at the very top—when they don’t have enough trust or real connection with peers.

The human impact:

• Loneliness is associated with increased risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression (HHS Advisory, 2023).

The business impact:

• HBR notes that “loneliness silently dismantles trust and team cohesion, foundational elements that drive performance, innovation, and resilience.” (HBR, 2025)

• Gallup data shows one in five employees worldwide currently feels lonely at work which directly impacts healthcare costs, absenteeism and turnover. (HBR, 2024).

• Only 18% of highly lonely employees believe their managers are doing enough to support workplace relationships—compared to 77% of employees who do not feel lonely (HBR, 2024).

If you notice signals like employees going quiet in meetings, people doing “just enough” instead of showing ownership, or teams retreating into silos, then loneliness may be the root cause.

What Loneliness Looks Like at Work

Here are some subtle signals leaders can look for:

• Disengagement – Employees don’t volunteer ideas or contribute beyond their tasks.

• Withdrawal – Team members are less visible, skip optional gatherings, or disengage on calls.

• Burnout – Energy levels drop, and people stop putting their best into the work.

• Fragmentation – Teams become transactional, avoiding real conversations, connection, or collaboration.

The Institute for Life at Work’s research makes it clear: when loneliness isn’t addressed, it undermines employee well-being and organizational performance (Institute for Life at Work).

From Loneliness to Belonging: What Leaders Can Do

The good news is that leaders have enormous influence over whether loneliness takes root or whether belonging flourishes. The shift isn’t about grand gestures or one-time events, it’s about consistent, human-sized actions.

Here are five practical things leaders and HR teams can do right now:

1. Normalize the Conversation

Talk openly about loneliness. When leaders (including me) share that they, too, feel lonely sometimes, it normalizes the conversation. It signals to employees: “You’re not weak. You’re human.” Vulnerability from the top creates permission for others to open up.

2. Build Relationships at Offsites

When planned with purpose, offsites can do more than align strategy, they can strengthen relationships and connection. Focus on activities and conversations that help people see one another as humans, not just coworkers, and create space for appreciation and trust. Done well, these moments build a foundation leaders can carry back into everyday work. For ideas on how to design an offsite that actually drives clarity, trust, and performance, check out our Manager's Guide to High-Impact Team Offsites.

3. Design Micro-Moments of Connection

Connection doesn’t require happy hours or escape rooms (though, those can help). It’s built in the small moments asking about someone’s weekend, creating rituals at the start of team meetings, or encouraging check-ins and check-outs so meetings are more than about tasks. As leaders, we can model this by making time for a quick “human question” before diving into the agenda.

4. Create Structures for Peer Support and Learning

Belonging doesn’t happen by accident, it needs to be designed. That could mean cross-functional project teams, employee resource groups, or dedicated time for peer learning. Invite employees to join mentoring programs (especially during role transitions or onboarding), or launch small peer coaching circles where people share challenges and learn together.The key is to make these structural, not optional “add-ons.”

5. Build Inclusive Rituals and Traditions

Companies can foster belonging by celebrating milestones (work anniversaries, birthdays, and team wins) in consistent and inclusive ways. Regular all-hands or town halls also help when they create space for employee voices, not just top-down updates. And weaving in rituals that reflect company values, such as sharing stories of impact or giving gratitude shout-outs, builds connection and reinforces a culture where people feel seen and included.

6. Recognize and Value Contributions

One of the simplest ways to reduce loneliness is to make people feel seen. Recognition, both formal and informal, signals that someone’s contributions matter. A quick Slack message or a shout-out in a meeting can have a disproportionate impact.

7. Invest in Manager Training

Managers are the first line of defense against loneliness, yet most have never been trained to recognize or respond to it. That’s why organizations should equip them with practical tools and skills (like spotting signs of isolation, asking open-ended check-in questions, hosting “connection 1:1s,” and facilitating trust-building across teams). HR and leadership teams can reinforce this by providing simple toolkits and measuring leaders not just on business results, but also on people outcomes such as belonging and engagement.

Beyond Teams: The Organizational Responsibility

At an organizational level, the responsibility is bigger than any one leader. Loneliness is shaped by the systems, norms, and priorities of the company itself. Leaders should ask:

• Are our policies designed in ways that isolate people (e.g., too much asynchronous work, no intentional connection)?

• Do our values prioritize both performance and people?

• Are we creating spaces for authentic relationships, not just transactional interactions?

A culture of belonging is the ultimate antidote to workplace loneliness. That requires executive commitment, not just HR initiatives.

At the organizational level, belonging must be built into systems, not left to chance. That means measuring it alongside performance, designing work structures that connect people across silos, and rewarding those who strengthen community… not just those who hit metrics. Most importantly, executives must model connection and make belonging part of everyday rituals and stories. When companies align policies, recognition, and leadership behavior around human connection, loneliness has little room to grow.

Looking Ahead

Loneliness isn’t something we can solve once and move on. It’s a human reality, one that fluctuates across seasons, roles, and life stages. But leaders have the power to create workplaces where loneliness doesn’t silently erode culture and performance.

As HBR reminds us: “Loneliness silently dismantles trust and team cohesion, foundational elements that drive performance, innovation, and resilience.” (HBR, 2025)

The question isn’t whether loneliness exists in your organization, it's whether you’re willing to address it.

As leaders, we have the chance to create organizations where people don’t just work, they thrive.

Loneliness at work is real, and it’s costly. But it doesn’t have to define your culture. Leaders who take this seriously can turn disconnection into belonging and rebuild the trust and energy their organizations need to thrive. The question isn’t if loneliness is affecting your company, it’s how much longer you can afford to ignore it.

If you’re ready to take the first step, let’s talk. I’m offering a free 30-minute coaching or consultation call to help you spot where disconnection may be hiding in your organization and design practical steps to build a culture of belonging. Click here to schedule your call… your people (and your bottom line) will thank you.