The Loneliness Crisis: Why Creating Connection is a Critical Leadership Priority
The Most Connected. The Most Alone.
Technology, including our phones, instantly connects us with those around the world, and in the next room. We can collaborate in incredible ways (including from the comfort of our homes). We have access to tools we couldn't imagine a generation ago, yet we are also lonelier than we've ever been.
A 2024 YMCA Canada study reveals that 60% of Canadians surveyed feel disconnected from their community, with the highest results in those younger than 55 years old. Employee stress, exacerbated by disconnection and loneliness, is extremely concerning. A Telus Health report finds 40% of workers facing constant stress and 70% of employees indicating a recent decline in productivity.
Loneliness and Disconnection is a Business Problem
While it is easy to dismiss loneliness and disconnection as social issues, the impact to organizations is immense.
According to research published in OHS Canada, lonely employees are five times more likely to miss work due to stress, and twice as likely to be considering leaving their jobs. To ignore this alarming impact to productivity is akin to paying full price for half the work.
Julie McCarthy, professor of organizational behaviour and HR management at the University of Toronto, reviewed over 233 studies on loneliness and work. She writes, "If you experience high levels of loneliness over time it becomes chronic … that can impact productivity, disrupt team dynamics, and increase turnover." McCarthy was inspired to research the impact of loneliness after reading the US Surgeon General’s Report: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. Dr. Vivek H. Murthy calls loneliness an epidemic and writes:
“the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day … [a]nd the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connections can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.”
Leaders Aren’t Immune — and They’re the Ones Who Can Change It
McCarthy’s research found that those in leadership roles actually feel more isolated too. That loneliness can quietly erode a leader’s judgment, empathy, and ability to show up.
For remote and hybrid teams, the leader isn’t just a manager; they are the primary culture carrier. Culture is reinforced by organizational leadership. If the leader isn’t intentional about connection, nobody else will be.
The simple answer is to mandate a return to the office, however, it isn’t actually that simple. While bringing people together provides the opportunity for greater connection, it doesn’t actually build relationships without other deliberate actions. Additionally, remote work is still a reality, and organizations need to create a plan for building connection in flexible work environments.
Emotional Intelligence Is a Critical Leadership Skill
As technology takes on more of the operational, analytical, and administrative work of running a business, the things it cannot replicate become more valuable: the human elements such as empathy, presence, the ability to read a room (or a Zoom call) and the judgment to know when someone on your team is struggling before they say a word. Emotional intelligence in leaders is critical.
Canadian workplace data reinforces this. A 2025 mental health report found that employees in high-trust organizations are 76% more engaged, with significantly lower rates of stress and burnout compared to those in low-trust environments. The difference between a team that thrives and one that quietly disengages often comes down to how safe people feel - and that safety is built, broken, and reinforced by leaders.
Emotional intelligence in a leader isn’t about constant positivity, but rather, it’s about noticing when someone has gone quiet, or isn’t themselves. It’s being self-aware enough to recognize when your stress is impacting your interactions and relationships, and it’s being courageous enough to have real conversations. Sometimes, it’s about not accepting “I’m fine” and gently probing a bit deeper to find out how they are actually doing.
Trust Is the Foundation
The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team is a simple but powerful framework. The base of every cohesive team is trust. Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, writes that trust is vulnerability-based trust. This form of trust allows people to feel comfortable saying, “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake” without fear of retribution or having it held against them later.
Vulnerability-based trust needs to be modeled and supported by leaders.
Without the foundation of trust, the pyramid begins to topple. Teams won’t bring up alternative ideas, debate or vigorously discuss problems. Without that meaningful conversation, commitment is lacking and accountability is absent. Results suffer, or are ignored.
This is what separates a group of people who work together from a productive, cohesive, efficient team. And the difference starts with the leader’s willingness to go first — to model the vulnerability that makes trust possible.
Putting it into Practice
None of this requires a major initiative or a new HR program. The shifts that matter most are often small and intentional. Here are a few worth considering:
Move from task-focused check-ins to genuine inquiry. Don’t simply ask what someone is working on, although removing obstacles and addressing issues is important. Pair those questions with ones that help you learn more about the person sitting across from you. Don’t simply accept “fine” as the answer to “How’s it going?” Use the TED system: tell me more, explain, describe — to dig a bit deeper. Ensure you leave space for the other person to answer. Ask what they are excited about, what they are doing on the weekend, and other questions to connect more deeply.
Foster connection in the workplace: within teams and across them, whether that is virtual coffee chats, games, or Teams chats.
Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety is a great place to start. She defines this as:
“a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”
If you see behaviour which is psychologically unsafe, address it. Even if it seems like it is in jest. Criticism is often hidden in attempts at humour. In the education system, research clearly shows the positive impact on results if each student has one safe adult in the building. Strive to create the same goal in your organization: that each person has one other person they can rely on when they need support.
Model vulnerability first. You can’t ask your team to be open, honest, and willing to take interpersonal risks if you aren’t doing it yourself.
None of these strategies are complicated or costly. They are, however, intentional and entirely within your control.
The Leaders Who Get This Right Will Win
Technology isn’t going away — and the pressure that comes with it won’t either. But people do their best work when they feel seen, valued, and part of something meaningful. And they stay at organizations where that’s true.
The leaders who prioritize connection and emotional intelligence aren’t just doing right by their people. They’re building stronger, more resilient organizations.
It starts with deciding that connection is critical and then practicing it daily.
What’s Next?
Read these blog posts:
Read any of the studies linked in the blog post
Learn about Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Do a personal or team assessment for The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team. Do training too.
Read any of the linked studies
