The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Teams (and How Relatable Leaders Turn It Around)
When teams are disconnected, it rarely shows up first as drama. It shows up as silence. Cameras off. Ideas withheld. People doing the minimum instead of bringing their best. Underneath the quiet is a simple truth: people do not feel seen, heard, or connected.
For leaders and organizations, that quiet disconnection is expensive. It erodes performance, engagement, and culture long before it shows up as turnover on a spreadsheet.
What disconnection really looks like day‑to‑day
Most leaders are not ignoring their teams. They are running fast, juggling priorities, and assuming that “no news is good news.” In reality, disconnection often looks like:
Meetings where the same voices speak and everyone else checks out.
Email threads that stay surface‑level because people don’t feel safe asking real questions.
Teams that execute tasks but rarely push back, innovate, or challenge assumptions.
High performers who slowly stop volunteering, mentoring, or raising their hand.
The work still gets done, which is why disconnection is easy to miss. But over time, the gap between what your people are capable of and what they’re actually contributing widens.
Why traditional engagement efforts don’t stick
Many organizations respond to disengagement with programs: a new survey, a recognition platform, a town hall, a workshop. Those can all help—but if people still feel unseen in their daily experience, the lift is temporary.
The pattern I see again and again is this:
Leaders care deeply, but are stretched thin.
Communication becomes transactional and rushed.
Recognition is broad (“Great job, team!”) rather than specific and personal.
Feedback is delayed until something goes wrong.
The message people receive is: “We value results more than relationships.” Most employees will not argue with that out loud. They will simply adjust, contribute less of themselves, and start browsing other opportunities.
Connection is the bridge between intention and impact
Most leaders do not intend to create disengaged teams. Their intention is to support, empower, and grow people—while also hitting the numbers. The breakdown happens in how that intention is experienced.
Connection is the bridge between a leader’s intent and their team’s reality.
When people feel connected to their leader and to each other, they are more likely to:
Share ideas and concerns early, before they become problems.
Extend grace when things change or mistakes happen.
Stay engaged through seasons of pressure or uncertainty.
Choose to grow with the organization instead of leaving.
Without that bridge, even the best strategy can feel cold. Updates feel like orders. Feedback feels like criticism. Change feels like something being done to people instead of with them.
What relatable leaders do differently
Relatable leaders:
Make people feel seen. They learn names, stories, and strengths—and reference them. A simple “I know you’ve been juggling X and Y; how are you holding up?” goes a long way.
Communicate with clarity and empathy. They explain the “why,” not just the “what,” and they invite questions without punishing honesty.
Listen more than they talk. They create space in meetings for quieter voices and actively ask, “What am I missing?”
Recognize effort as well as outcomes. They notice the behind‑the‑scenes work, not just the final numbers.
Model vulnerability with boundaries. They are honest about challenges and learning while still providing direction and stability.
None of these behaviors require huge amounts of extra time. They require intention and awareness—which can be learned.
Three practical shifts to reconnect your team
If your team feels more disconnected than you’d like, start small. Here are three simple shifts you can make this month:
Upgrade one recurring meeting.
Turn a status meeting into a connection point. Start with a quick check‑in question (“What’s one win or one challenge from this week?”) and end with, “What do you need from me or from each other?” Capture themes and follow up.Replace assumptions with questions.
Instead of assuming silence means buy‑in, ask directly: “On a scale of 1–10, how clear does this feel?” or “What concerns are you holding back?” Make it normal—and safe—for people to share what they really think.Personalize one piece of recognition each week.
Choose one person and acknowledge something specific they contributed, how it helped, and what it says about their strengths. Specificity makes people feel seen; repetition builds culture.
These may sound simple, but consistently practiced, they change how people feel at work—and how they show up.
Why this matters now more than ever
Hybrid work, rapid change, and constant pressure have made disconnection easier than ever. At the same time, your people have more options and higher expectations for how they are led. They want leaders who are clear and human, who can talk about performance and still remember the person behind the role.
The good news: connection is not a mystery trait some leaders are born with. It is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and scaled across your organization.
Rachel DeAlto is a keynote speaker on communication and leadership and author of The Relatable Leader: Create a Culture of Connection (Post Hill Press, 2025). She helps organizations build trust, belonging, and engagement through relatable leadership.