Articles

Leader Isolation: The Disruption Created by Covid-19

16th May 2024

Isolation emerged from our research as a key component of leadership burnout. However, Covid-19 disrupted a number of traditional leadership and organisational behaviours and norms which have been the root cause of isolation for leaders.  

(i)             Leadership Behavioural Paradox 

Our research introduces the concept of the "leadership behavioural paradox," where leadership styles diverge significantly based on management direction. In "managing down," leaders adopt compassionate and vulnerable approaches, creating a psychologically safe environment for their teams. Conversely, in "managing up," they often revert to a more traditional, stoic style, eschewing the vulnerability displayed to their subordinates. This paradox appears rooted in fears such as imposter syndrome and failure, as well as issues of perceived control.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these dynamics. The shared experience of the pandemic created an environment where leaders felt more comfortable expressing vulnerabilities across all levels of hierarchy, including with superiors. This shift enabled leaders to forge authentic connections with peers and more specifically superiors, leading to a significant decrease in feelings of isolation compared to non-pandemic times, ironic given the global tumult. Leaders had in effect created a psychologically safe space for themselves through the self-compassionate acting of fostering connection. Notably, leaders found these workplace connections, familiar with their professional challenges, to be more impactful on their well-being than support from outside the workplace, including friends and family. This shift occurred regardless of the lack of physical interaction, suggesting that the quality and relevance of interactions may outweigh the mode of communication, challenging prior research (Lilian, 2014; Venter, 2019).

(ii)            Cultivating a Community Culture

Our research highlights how organisational efforts to bolster employee well-being during COVID-19 significantly fostered a sense of community, impacting all levels of the organisation, including the C-suite. Leaders reported a newfound sense of belonging - an experience many described as unprecedented in their careers - which played a critical role in alleviating the isolation typically associated with their roles.

This community culture emerged both through formal organisational initiatives and organic employee-led efforts. Formal methods included online town hall meetings and virtual events, while more spontaneous activities like ad-hoc WhatsApp groups and online quiz nights also proved vital. These efforts collectively broke down hierarchical barriers, creating an environment where the hierarchy was secondary to a sense of common belonging, akin to non-work communities like book clubs or church groups. 

The regularity, solidarity, and camaraderie of these interactions ensured every voice was heard and valued, fostering a profound sense of community. Leaders expressed a strengthened and warm feeling from their participation, and feelings of reduced isolation. They relished the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the organisational culture - an experience they seldom allowed themselves before the pandemic slowed things down. Unfortunately, many leaders have observed a decline in community-focused initiatives after the pandemic, and an additional concern has emerged: leaders are not allowing themselves to engage in the practices that remain. Perceived as an indulgence, these activities are often side-lined despite their benefits for well-being. This situation underscores the urgent need to institutionalise such practices, ensuring that they continue to enrich organizational culture and promote a lasting sense of community and belonging. 

The issue of isolation was a prominent theme among leaders in our research, resonating with Apple CEO Tim Cook's view that leadership can be "a lonely job." U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has also highlighted the underappreciated "epidemic of loneliness," which he considers as harmful as smoking, paralleling findings by Emma Seppala and Marissa King in their 2017 Harvard Business Review article, "Burnout at Work Isn't Just about Exhaustion. It's also about Loneliness." Our research demonstrated that isolation impacts leaders' stress levels, resilience, and their capacity to handle uncertainty. COVID-19 catalysed crucial behavioural shifts and organisational initiatives designed to mitigate this isolation. However, as the immediate crisis waned, so did many of these supportive practices, highlighting a missed opportunity to sustain these beneficial cultural shifts. Moving forward, it is essential that organisations continue to nurture these developments to ensure that the progress made in combating leadership isolation is not lost.