Disconnected Leaders Create Disconnected Teams

"How was your day?"

"Fine"

“What did you learn?”

“Nothing.”

“Any homework?”

“No.”

If you’ve raised a teenager—or been one—you’ve probably lived this script. It’s the dinner-table ritual that looks like connection but feels like going through the motions.

Here's the problem: This isn't just happening at home. It’s happening at work—every day, in every meeting, 1:1, and team standup.

We’re drowning in meetings yet starving for connection.

And the result? Disconnected leaders. Disconnected teams. And disconnected organizations that don't perform, don't retain, and don't thrive.

THE MYTH OF “FINE”

Workplace conversations have become a masterclass in surface-level pleasantries and shallow check-ins—what I call "fake perky"—where we present what we think others expect to see and hear.

"How are you?" - "Fine." - [We both move on]

But “fine” is a veneer. It's corporate code for "Let's play pretend—where we all agree everything's okay, when it may, or may not be."

When leaders get stuck in performative connection—hitting their conversational marks, checking engagement boxes, attending their scheduled meetings—they send a clear message: "I'm present, but I'm not really here."

And that disconnection is contagious.

Disconnected leaders create disconnected teams. And disconnected teams don't innovate, don't collaborate effectively, and don't stick around when better opportunities arise.

WHY CONNECTION FEELS SO HARD (BUT MATTERS SO MUCH)

Let’s be honest. You’re probably not ignoring your people on purpose. You’re running on empty—triple-booked, overstretched, and overloaded with good intentions constrained by impossible calendars.

What gets squeezed out first? Meaningful moments. The micro-connections that build trust, spark breakthrough ideas, and fuel sustainable performance.

We've invested heavily in engagement surveys, formal mentoring programs, and workplace perks designed to show we care. But we've missed the root cause: we've stopped truly seeing each other as human beings.

Our research SkyeTeam reveals a startling reality: 1 in 5 leaders who've completed our Ally Mindset™ Profile report they don't have even one meaningful relationship at work. Not. One.

That’s not a performance issue. That’s a crisis of belonging that directly impacts your bottom line.

We've mistaken communication tools for genuine connection. Physical proximity for emotional trust. Scheduled check-ins for authentic caring. And it's costing organizations billions in disengagement, turnover, and lost innovation.

THE FIX: YOU DON'T NEED MORE MEETINGS. YOU NEED MORE MOMENTS.

Real leadership doesn't happen in spite of the daily work. It happens through it, in the spaces between tasks and the moments between meetings.

You don't need another productivity app, a week-long leadership retreat, or another well-intentioned corporate initiative. You need a new rhythm of connection.

Here’s how to create it:

🔎 Look Up – Notice What's Really Happening

• Who's checked out during meetings?

• Who hasn't spoken up in team discussions?

• What's your own energy telling you about your need for connection?

🎯 Show Up – Be Fully Present

• Phone down, laptop closed, eyes up

• Ask better questions—and stay for the complete answers

• Give yourself permission to be authentic, not just "fake perky"

💥 Step Up – Take Small, Consistent Actions

• Send a meaningful message of recognition

• Invite someone for coffee without an agenda

• Schedule moments that refill your own connection tank

This is the essence of Meaning-FULL Connectivity™ our framework for the kind of connection that energizes rather than drains you. It's what genuinely drives engagement, improves retention, and delivers measurable business results.

CONNECTION AS STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Here's what we need to stop doing: calling connection a "soft skill."

Connection is the infrastructure that makes everything else in your organization function effectively. It's your strategic competitive advantage. And it's being systematically ignored in favor of more meetings, more tools, and more surface-level solutions.

The solution to workplace disengagement isn't another meeting. It's creating more meaning in the moments you already have.

Our Look Up, Show Up, Step Up™ framework doesn't require additional calendar time, awkward team-building exercises, or expensive technology platforms. It requires intentional presence and authentic care—qualities that transform ordinary workplace interactions into relationship-building opportunities. 

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR CONNECTION

When leaders embrace Meaning-FULL Connectivity™, organizations see:

• Higher employee engagement scores

• Reduced voluntary turnover

• Increased innovation and collaboration

• Improved team performance and productivity

• Enhanced organizational resilience during change

And they start having a lot more fun at work!

Connection isn't a workplace perk or nice-to-have cultural add-on. It's a power source that fuels everything else.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

If you're wondering why your team doesn't seem to care as much as you do about the work, the mission, the outcomes, or each other...

It might be time to Look Up from your endless task list, Show Up with genuine presence for the people in front of you, and Step Up with small daily actions that demonstrate you see them as whole human beings.

But first, you need to fill your own tank. You can't create authentic connection with others if you're disconnected from yourself. Because when you connect with yourself—your needs, your energy, your authentic self—you can better connect with others through Meaning-FULL Connectivity™.

When you model that kind of authentic presence and care, it becomes the cultural norm that transforms your entire organization. And when your leadership tank is full through authentic connection, you don't just lead better. You live better.

The question isn't whether you have time for connection. The question is whether you can afford not to make time for it.

What's one moment of meaningful connection you created or experienced this week? Share your story and inspire others to Look Up, Show Up, and Step Up.

READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR ORGANIZATION'S CONNECTION CULTURE?

I am so excited!!! My new keynote "You Don't Need More Meetings. You Need More Moments" is now available for conferences, leadership retreats, and organizational events.

Drawing from our latest research, and introducing Meaning-FULL Connectivity™ and our Look Up, Show Up, Step Up™ framework, this interactive session gives leaders practical tools to build authentic workplace relationships without adding to their already overwhelming schedules.

Don't Wait! I'm now booking for Fall 2025 and throughout 2026 (already confirmed dates into September 2026!)

Contact me directly:

• Email: morag@skyeteam.com

• Phone: +1 303 725 1728

• Website: skyeteam.com

About Me: Morag Barrett is CEO of SkyeTeam and author of three books including "You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work." And the new second edition of “Cultivate. The Power of Winning Relationships”. I've supported more than 15,000+ leaders across 20 countries build high-performing teams through the power of authentic workplace relationships.

My mission: Create cultures of connection in a world of (increasing) disconnection.

My mantra: success in business is about relationships; success in life is about connection.