The Lonely Leader: How Organizational Power Distance and Need to Belong Shape Leader Loneliness

Abstract

Despite holding power and authority, leaders are not immune to loneliness. However, existing research has overlooked the impact of contextual factors and individual differences on the emergence of leader loneliness. This study addresses this gap by drawing on the process model of workplace loneliness to examine how and under what conditions organizational power distance increases leader loneliness. We propose that organizational power distance, as a cultural norm, provides guidance on appropriate social interactions between leaders and followers, thus impacting social closeness and leader loneliness. Through three waves of data collection from 416 leaders, this study found that leader perceived power distance reduces social closeness between leaders and their followers, which in turn increases leader loneliness. Furthermore, the negative relationship between reduced social closeness and leader loneliness is weaker when leaders have a lower level of need to belong. These findings highlight the importance of considering organizational context and individual differences in leader loneliness research. Practically, this study suggests that organizations should foster a culture that encourages open communication and social interaction opportunities between leaders and followers in order to mitigate leader loneliness.