The science behind friendship at work, loneliness, and building a culture of belonging.

SEASON 4:

Foundations of Friendship at Work & Cultures of Connection

Part 1: Foundations of Friendship at Work

Episode 3 — Workplace Wellbeing and Social Connection

We spend more than a third of our lives at work, yet many organizations still treat connection as optional and friendship as a distraction. In this episode of Friendship Matters, we explore why friendship at work is actually one of the strongest drivers of wellbeing, engagement, and performance.

Drawing on research from Gallup, healthcare, and organizational science, we unpack the hidden cost of workplace loneliness and why social connection directly impacts mental health, productivity, retention, and even longevity. This conversation challenges outdated leadership beliefs that prioritize tasks over relationships and shows why wellbeing cannot exist without social health.

Through real stories from leadership, medicine, and coaching, you will hear how small, intentional moments of connection create trust, fuel collaboration, and help people feel seen and valued at work.

In this episode, you will learn:
• Why friendship is a critical part of workplace wellbeing
• How loneliness quietly erodes engagement, creativity, and retention
• What the research really says about having a best friend at work
• How belonging and purpose affect both performance and health
• Simple, practical ways to build connection without forcing it

If you are a leader, HR professional, or anyone who wants work to feel more human without losing focus or results, this episode reframes what truly drives thriving workplaces.

©Friendship Institute 2026

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.

Trust is not a soft skill. It is the foundation of every high performing team.

SEASON 4:

Foundations of Friendship at Work & Cultures of Connection

Part 1: Foundations of Friendship at Work

Episode 2 — The Science of Friendship and Leadership part 2

Listen in as we break down what trust and connection really look like in modern leadership and how they are built through daily, intentional actions, not titles or authority. If you have ever wondered how to move your team from functional to fully engaged, this conversation gives you a clear and practical path forward.

Learn a simple, repeatable three step framework that you can use immediately to strengthen relationships, increase engagement, and create a culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to do their best work.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why authenticity builds trust when it is done with boundaries, not oversharing
• How closing the say do gap directly impacts credibility and leadership effectiveness
• Practical ways to create meaningful connection at work, in person or remote
• Why listening deeply and allowing silence leads to better insight and stronger teams
• How thoughtful recognition, from handwritten notes to moments of fun, drives engagement and loyalty
• A powerful leadership case study showing how connection transformed an entire organization

Through real stories from executive leadership, healthcare, and coaching, this episode challenges the idea that connection just happens. It shows why leaders must design it intentionally and how small actions can create lasting ripple effects across a team.

If you want a team that trusts you, stays engaged, and genuinely wants to follow your lead, this episode gives you a clear, human centered framework to build trust and belonging starting now. Leadership is not just about managing work. It is about building relationships that help people and organizations thrive.

©Friendship Institute 2026

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.

What if one of the most powerful leadership tools is also one of the most overlooked?

SEASON 4:

Foundations of Friendship at Work & Cultures of Connection

Part 1: Foundations of Friendship at Work

Episode 1 — The Science of Friendship and Leadership

In this episode, we kick off our series by exploring the surprising role friendship plays in effective leadership. Research shows that employees are seven times more engaged when they have a best friend at work, yet many leaders are still taught to keep connection at arm's length.

We unpack why leadership is fundamentally relational, not transactional, and why trust, care, and authenticity are not soft skills but strategic advantages. Through real world stories and lived experience, including powerful examples from executive leader Lisa Grimes, we explore what it looks like to lead with genuine connection without sacrificing performance or accountability.

You will hear why people follow leaders they trust, how consistency and authenticity build loyalty over time, and why knowing your people matters more than surveys, bonuses, or titles. We also examine the hidden costs of disconnection, from loneliness at work to disengagement, retention challenges, and even imposter syndrome among leaders themselves.

This conversation challenges the myth of command and control leadership and reframes friendship as a foundation for trust, engagement, productivity, and belonging. If you want to be the kind of leader people would follow anywhere, not because they have to, but because they want to, this episode sets the stage.

Listen in and rethink what great leadership really looks like.

©Friendship Institute 2026

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.