Executives are connected like never before, drowning in meetings, hybrid working and endless email and Teams notifications. But despite all of the ways we can digitally connect, many executives struggle with isolation.
As mental health and loneliness continue to become priority issues in workplaces around the world, World Health Day is a great reminder that connection isn’t just nice to have, it’s mission critical.
Why? Research compiled from the World Health Organization, Harvard, Gallup, McKinsey, Oxford and many others prove that when it comes to mental health, decision making, resilience and productivity, connection matters.
Here’s how connection improves the mind and why executives should care.
Feelings of isolation among executives are growing for a few reasons:
- Leadership can be lonely. The pressure to make decisions, confidentiality around challenges, and organizational responsibility can limit opportunities to share openly.
- Research from multiple sources has found:
- More than 70% of newly appointed CEOs experience loneliness when entering leadership positions
- One in five employees globally feel lonely at work
- Loneliness kills creativity, innovation and decision-making
- Disconnected teams have higher turnover and absenteeism
Isolation isn’t just a wellbeing issue — disconnected leadership can cause significant business harm.
Loneliness and mental health challenges also lead to:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Decreased cognitive function (all of which negatively impact leadership resilience and effectiveness)
Simply put: executives face unique challenges when it comes to isolation. Understanding how connection improves mental health can help leaders prioritise building a more connected world.
Here’s what the research says about why connection improves mental health:
- Social connection can improve long-term health.
- The World Health Organization lists these benefits of social connection:
- Reduces inflammation
- Decreases risk of mental health conditions
- Lowers risk of early death
- Improves healthy communities and productivity
- Physical health impacts from lack of connection are why the World Health Organization made connection a public health priority in 2024.
Global happiness research also emphasizes how important social connection is to our overall wellbeing. The 2023 World Happiness Report stresses that strong social relationships help us better cope with stress and life’s hardships.
What’s more: nearly 1 in 5 young adults across the world feel like they have no one to count on — and that number is growing each year.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the most famous studies on happiness found that relationships are the key to health and happiness. The Harvard Study of Adult Development studied adult wellbeing through decades of research, interviewing participants and examining their social relationships.
The researchers concluded that the quality of our relationships directly affects our ability to live longer, happier lives.
“The evidence is clear: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier,” reports CNN.
“This is true whether we’re talking about a marriage, a circle of friends, or ties to our community.”
When you’re an executive managing complex business challenges, personal connections translate to:
- Better decisions
- Resilience
- Presence
- Empathy
- Decision-making ability, emotional intelligence and leadership presence are just a few ways connection keeps executives thriving professionally.
Here’s how improved connection can benefit your business:
- Employees who feel a sense of wellbeing at work are more productive and help drive company performance.
- Teams with high levels of connection and collaboration are more innovative.
- Employees who feel psychologically safe are more productive.
- Social connection drives employee engagement.
- Employees who feel connected to their coworkers are less likely to leave.
Researchers at Oxford University went as far to say companies with higher employee wellbeing also saw better organisational performance.
And when employee mental health suffers, so does your business.
According to Deloitte, poor mental health is costing UK employers £51 billion per year. Meaning leaders who ignore employee connection and wellbeing will likely struggle to maintain top talent.
Additional research from McKinsey suggests that employees’ mental, social, and emotional wellbeing directly impacts their performance at work and their decision to stay with an organisation.
Competitive advantage comes from connected leaders and teams who leverage relationships to build innovative cultures.
While some industries offer more opportunity to build connection than others, every executive can benefit from taking small steps to improve workplace wellbeing through connection.
Let’s dive into some practical ways executives can build connection.
5 Ways Executives Can Build Social Connection
Isolation among executives can seem unavoidable. Busy schedules, high responsibility, and little peer guidance can create an environment where it feels like no one can understand your challenges.
But by prioritising connection with your teams, peers, and leaders you can begin building a meaningful community.
And you don’t need to wait for a perfect moment to start, turning Blue Monday into a positive month shows how even the smallest actions during low-energy periods can spark the momentum that leads to lasting connection.
Here are five ways executives can start building connection.
1. Create peer leadership networks
Your leadership team probably isn’t your only peer group of executives wanting to improve connection. Seek out peer groups within your industry to expand your support network.
2. Hold in-person events and meetings
Whenever possible, create spaces for employees and peers to connect in-person. Physical interaction helps improve trust and builds long-lasting working relationships.
That said, in-person isn’t always possible; understanding the trade-offs in our guide to virtual events vs in-person events helps you choose the format that still delivers meaningful connection, even across time zones.
3. Join learning communities
Exchange ideas and build intellectual connections with leaders who inspire you. Attend executive forums, join roundtables and start speaking at industry events.
4. Establish mentorship programs
Did someone help you when you were first starting your career? Now it’s time to pay it forward.
- Strong relationships with team members of all levels will help you build empathy and better understand your teams.
- Consider starting a mentorship program within your organization, or teaming up with a peer to start a reverse mentorship program.
- Not every conversation with your team needs to be about closing the deal. Schedule in regular opportunities to simply talk and get to know your coworkers and employees.
5. Have regular “watercooler” conversations
COVID-19 accelerated change in the workplace. Technology advancements, AI, remote working and global teams have forever changed how we work.
Connection Should Be an Executive Priority
Executives are leveraging technology to collaborate better and more efficiently than ever before. But digital connection is simply not enough to maintain mental wellness.
World Health Day is a great reminder that connection is critical — not just for our wellbeing, but for our companies and organisations.
It’s a theme that runs through the calendar — initiatives like World Kindness Day reinforce the same message, that small acts of genuine connection have an outsized impact on how people feel at work.
When executives create space to build connection:
- Teams feel more supported
- Employees become more engaged
- Leaders make better decisions
- Businesses see improved performance
- Thriving organizations start with connected leaders.
Article sources:
World Health Organization — Social Connection and Health
https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2025-social-connection-linked-to-improved-heath-and-reduced-risk-of-early-death World Happiness Report 2025
https://www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/ Harvard Study of Adult Development
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/ Harvard Business Review — Leadership Loneliness
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/new-to-leadership-heres-how-to-address-loneliness/ Gallup Workplace Loneliness Research
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/645566/employees-worldwide-feel-lonely.aspx McKinsey Health Institute — Workplace Wellbeing
https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/thriving-workplaces-how-employers-can-improve-productivity-and-change-lives Deloitte Workplace Mental Health Costs
https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/about/press-room/poor-mental-health-costs-uk-employers-51-billion-a-year-for-employees.html Oxford University Workplace Wellbeing Research
https://wellbeing.hmc.ox.ac.uk Harvard T.H. Chan School — Social Connection Research
https://hsph.harvard.edu WHO Commission on Social Connection
https://www.who.int