Lonely at the top | How to combat loneliness as a leader

This week marks Loneliness Awareness Week. Created and hosted by Marmalade Trust, the annual campaign seeks to raise awareness of loneliness both in the UK and around the world. Recent statistics have pointed towards the struggles particularly experienced in the workplace.

2021 data from O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report has suggested that the pandemic has exacerbated feelings of loneliness among the UK, with 44% admitting to often feeling lonely. Compared to 2020, 62% of staff admitted to engaging in fewer social activities with loved ones, with one in four (27%) feeling disconnected from their team. Whilst a lot of thought is often given to recognising loneliness among staff (and finding solutions to help), leaders have their own wellbeing needs too.

In fact, one expert has suggested that senior leaders aren’t exempt from feeling lonely in the workplace. Simon Roderick, Managing Director of financial services firm, Fram Search, previously explained: “Leadership can be a lonely business, and it’s something most C-level execs are very aware of”.

He continued:  “Whilst you often get to share good news and have the enjoyment of seeing others develop, you sometimes have to deliver bad news, close divisions, make redundancies, and ask people to improve their performance.