Lonely at the Top: How Do Senior Leaders Navigate the Need to Belong?

Abstract

Despite the considerable literature on leadership, very little research explores how leaders experience their role, especially in senior-level positions. This study examines the socioemotional costs of being a high-ranking leader in a corporate context. In-depth interviews with C-suite executives were conducted revealing that loneliness is a professional hazard. Top executives are more prone to be lonely due to the pressures of the role: increased social distance, lack of social support, and exhaustion related to the role. Two ongoing conflicts in the position (Role vs. Person and Distance vs. Closeness) and four coping strategies were identified (mental and physical disconnection, healthy lifestyle, support from one's network, and affecting and influencing others). Finally, the research revealed that some organizational conditions could also increase the risk of loneliness at the top (e.g., high-power distance culture). This study provides an empirical foundation to manage top executives' behavior and well-being. Leaders and HR practitioners should raise awareness and take action to contribute to senior managers' welfare, and ultimately, to organizational success.

A Conceptual Review of Loneliness in Adults: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

“…This notion of cultural loneliness could persist even when people had good access to social networks. Studies of social loneliness in the employment context identified a lack of support and employment-related 'distancing' or isolation from others from a diverse range of employees including long-haul truck drivers [26], homeworkers [46], school principals [57,60,113], medical educators [96], professional golfers [40], and senior corporate managers [104], as well as family caregivers [45,98]. Homeworkers and family caregivers seem to be especially vulnerable.…”

Is one the loneliest number? A within-person examination of the adaptive and maladaptive consequences of leader loneliness at work.

“…The leader role is intensely relational (Katz & Kahn, 1978), as leaders spend more than half of their workday with followers (Bandiera, Hansen, Prat, & Sadun, 2017). Leaders’ daily interactions with followers, however, may not generate the same level of closeness as other workplace relationships (e.g., Methot, LePine, Podsakoff, & Christian, 2016), given the heightened status- and power-related distance typically associated with positions of leadership (Anicich & Hirsh, 2017; Zumaeta, 2019). Instead, as illustrated in the quote above, leaders may feel loneliness stemming from relationships with followers.…”

Does loneliness lurk in temp work? Exploring the associations between temporary employment, loneliness at work and job satisfaction

“…[6]), organisational, and job characteristics (e.g. [7]) have been investigated as determinants of loneliness at work. However, several determinants of professional loneliness, including many job characteristics, still need to be investigated.…”