Everyone is somewhere along in the grieving process; few have made it to the final stage. Embracing—or accepting—grief is key to a resilient, functioning society. In honor of Grief Awareness Week, discover how leaders can harness grief’s hidden potential as a catalyst for growth. 

As workplaces become increasingly digitalized—with AI, automation, and virtual worksites—calls to remember the human at work have never been louder. Tackling feelings of anxiety with mental health support, loneliness with team-building opportunities, despair or hopelessness with purpose-driven initiatives, and stress or exhaustion with flexible work arrangements are just some of the ways organizations are heeding the call. 

In other words, honoring the human at work is all about recognizing the distinctly human capacity to feel—deeply so. Yet perhaps the deepest and most universal of these feelings is also the one most often overlooked: grief. 

Grief—that feeling which, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “feels so like fear”—is, and likely always has been, endemic to the human experience. There is no facet of life untouched by it. The loss that precipitates grief extends far beyond death; it can include the loss of security, comfort, opportunity, hope, or ability. Anything valued that is lost, in other words, can be grieved. 

Change in itself is a process of loss—transformation, too. Even though the words—and ideally, their outcomes—can be positive, that doesn’t make the accompanying sense of loss any less real. In a world defined by rapid change and transformation, therefore, it’s no wonder—and no issue—that people are so emotional. The problem lies in the fact that too few recognize just what it is they’re feeling. 

As leaders look around at the state of the world and its collective psyche, it’s worth asking: is it possible that what so many are experiencing isn’t fear, uncertainty, anxiety, frustration, or despair—at least, not singularly—but that feeling which feels so like them all? 

Understanding this distinction will be crucial to the continued success of organizations everywhere. For when acknowledged and addressed, grief can offer tremendous benefits that transcend the pain: clarity, hope, meaning, resilience, resourcefulness, and so much more. 

This article will explore grief’s overlooked status as not only a social and emotional reality, but as a necessary and transformative force for good—and how leaders can tap into its unrealized potential at work. 

Know to Grow: Understanding the Science Behind Grief 

“Growing With Grief.” Such is the theme of this year’s Grief Awareness Week, shining a much-needed light on grief’s ability to transform individuals and entire communities into someone or something more resilient, grounded, compassionate, and emotionally attuned. For grief is, ultimately, a form of learning, as psychologist and grief expert Mary-Frances O’Connor explains—the process by which the brain gradually adapts to a new reality.  

At its core, the brain is a prediction machine. Rather than experiencing the world directly, it continuously constructs perceptions of reality based on patterns from past experience. These perceptions are what allow humans to navigate life efficiently—preparing the body’s physiology in advance, enabling faster decision-making, emotional regulation, and a stable sense of self. 

It is this predictive mapping that ultimately allows attachments to form—and, consequently, for grief to emerge. With survival as its primary aim, everything the brain perceives or observes is used to drive life-sustaining behaviors—pushing individuals toward that which keeps them alive and functioning. When, say, a person is perceived as a reliable source of some fundamental need—be it safety, comfort, or protection—the brain encodes that relationship as essential to survival. Neural circuits linking the reward and stress systems become finely tuned to that bond, releasing feel-good hormones like dopamine and oxytocin when the person is present, and subsequently flooding the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in their absence—motivating the individual to once again re-engage with that which the brain has deemed an essential resource. 

Under ordinary circumstances, this process works exactly as it should—reuniting people with what they need, calming the stress response, and restoring balance through the release of feel-good chemicals. Grief is what happens when reunion is no longer possible; when the brain continues to anticipate a signal that will never arrive, keeping the body on high alert. This is why grief feels “so like fear,” or “the sensation of being afraid,” as C.S. Lewis once wrote—as the body remains trapped in an indefinite state of flight-or-fight.  

It’s this conception of grief as a “prediction error” that can be used to explain why grief so often manifests as denial, anger, and depression. Because the brain’s perception of reality derives from prior experience, denial often characterizes the earliest stages of grief, as the brain struggles to reconcile that what was for so long relied upon is no longer accessible. As reality begins to sink in, anger and frustration often surface, as needs can no longer be met as readily as before. Prolonged activation of the stress system—and the corresponding suppression of the brain’s reward pathways—meanwhile, contribute to feelings of exhaustion, low mood, and despair over time, giving rise to depression.  

These are the feelings or “stages” most commonly associated with grief. Yet there is a final, transformative stage that is often overlooked: that of adaptation—and acceptance. 

No Pain, No Gain: What it Really Takes to Grow Through Grief 

The brain may make errors in its predictions, but fortunately, these are never permanent. Thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly learning—and adapting to what it learns. In the face of loss, the brain gradually comes to understand that the signals it has been waiting for will not arrive, and so begins the process of forming new neural pathways that integrate this new understanding and promote continued survival and wellbeing.  

As these new pathways mature, the stress response slowly quiets, and energy once devoted to seeking what is gone becomes available for new purposes; that is, the search for new sources of safety, comfort, connection, or whatever need was disrupted by the loss—drawing on insights gained from the attachment to what is gone to guide the formation of new attachments to what remains, or better yet, to what is found. 

This process of reorganization and renewal is what psychologists refer to as post-traumatic growth: the brain’s remarkable ability to rebuild, adapt, find new meaning, and flourish in the face of profound change. 

After a loss, many report that they are more appreciative of life (65 percent), more empathetic toward others (51 percent), more connected to friends and family (34 percent), and experience a stronger sense of purpose (24 percent). By the five-year mark, up to 70 percent of bereaved individuals will experience some form of growth—whether in the form of deeper, more meaningful relationships, heightened spiritual awareness, the discovery of new possibilities, or enhanced inner strength.  

Yet while this capacity for growth through adversity may be innate, it nevertheless requires human effort to stimulate and sustain it—through conscious self-reflection, emotional processing, and the deliberate pursuit of new sources of enrichment or fulfillment. 

It is this—the active participation in one’s own healing—that so many people struggle with. It is here where so many people go wrong, “trapping” themselves in their grief. 

To realize the transformative power of grief and unlock its hidden benefits, people must be willing and able to confront their grief head-on. It is only by fully feeling and processing one’s emotions that they can ever be released; ignoring them only keeps them trapped within, leaving no room for healthier, more positive thoughts and emotions to emerge. Likewise, it is only by engaging in one’s healing—spending time with friends and family, attending therapy, exploring spiritual or creative practices, going outside, exercising—that offers the brain new experiences to learn from—and new connections to form, meaning to make, and new sources of stability and balance to rely on. 

Research corroborates this point. A 2018 study found that those who have the most intense reactions to grief—who make space for their emotions, talk about and dissect them, and deploy healthy coping strategies to work through them—are also the most likely to undergo post-traumatic growth. What this means for employers is that helping employees process their grief is crucial to ensuring they come out on the other side of it stronger, more resilient, and ready to re-engage with work and life. 

Employers’ Role in Unlocking Growth 

The consequences of not doing so are significant. At present, grief-related productivity losses cost organizations over $75 billion a year, with high turnover rates linked to grief adding millions more in replacement and training costs. New findings reveal that roughly four in five employees consider quitting their job after a loss—half of whom follow through—citing a lack of support and understanding, feelings of guilt or shame, and an overall impairment in their ability to function at work. 

When employees feel pressured to recover quickly from their grief—as many say they do—they consequently end up pushing their feelings down and forcing a smile instead of facing them head-on. The longer these feelings are suppressed, the more their somatic counterparts begin to surface: fatigue, headaches, body aches, and recurring bouts of illness.  

As the body works to release all that is being kept in, employees find it increasingly difficult to maintain their concentration, clarity of thought, creative and critical thinking, and emotional equilibrium. Anxiety, irritability, and depression start to set in, as employees become caught in a cycle of disordered thoughts and behaviors: withdrawing socially, losing interest in work or hobbies, struggling to carry out daily tasks, and failing to find meaning or direction—both at work and in their personal lives. 

In contrast, an open and compassionate culture around grief at work empowers employees to acknowledge their feelings and proactively manage their wellbeing before they reach a crisis point. In workplaces that actively champion mental health, employees are more likely to reach out for support—whether from peers, managers, or mental health professionals—confident that they will not be judged or penalized for doing so. As a result, grieving employees are better able to process their grief and move toward that positive, transformative stage, while their employers are rewarded with a workforce that is more engaged, resilient, passionate—even creative—as employees emerge from their grief with new perspectives on life and fresh ideas to apply to their work.  

Helping Employees Heal: Insights from the Frontlines  

Such a culture, of course, doesn’t form overnight, but takes conscious effort to bring to life. Leading teams in open, honest conversations about grief—and all other mental health concerns—is one of the simplest yet most impactful ways to start. Over two-thirds of employees wish their companies talked more frequently and openly about grief, research shows. Beyond conversation, grieving employees also emphasize the importance of tangible support: access to robust mental health support, adequate accommodations and leave policies, and professional assistance in locating community resources for further support.  

Above all, they want to work with people who understand what they’re going through—managers who can correctly identify signs of distress, perhaps even before they notice them themselves; peers who empathize, not stigmatize; and leaders who are patient, compassionate, and vulnerable themselves—who are human, in other words.  

At the end of the day, grief is the price and proof of humanity—of the ability to feel, relate, and care deeply. It’s a reminder of what it means to be human, and the power that comes with it: the ability to endure, adapt, and grow in ways no technology can replicate. As employees learn to share the table with technology in the workplace, remembering who the table was built for—and keeping the human at the heart of work—will be key to preserving their wellbeing, engagement, and performance in the years to come. 

How Workplace Options Can Help 

It is Workplace Options’ mission to help organizations achieve this, helping their people bring their full, authentic selves to work—including their grief, their hopes and their fears, and their real, human need for connection, understanding, and support. Through an extensive blend of comprehensive wellbeing and organizational effectiveness solutions, WPO empowers teams to leverage challenges like grief as opportunities to grow stronger, more connected, and more resilient in the face of ongoing change. 

Beyond standard counseling and coaching support designed to help individuals grow through their grief, WPO offers: 

• Learning solutions for leaders, managers, and peers alike to help them become effective stewards of mental health at work and provide compassionate support to grieving colleagues 
• Ongoing assistance for managers to help them recognize, reflect on, and respond to signs of emotional distress within their teams—navigating sensitive conversations or situations with confidence, competence, and care 
• Wellbeing promoter initiatives that equip peers to serve as effective role models of self-care and offer an approachable, trusted first point of contact for those seeking support 
• Leadership development and change management support to help leaders address the emotional impact of organizational change and decision-making—preserving employees’ trust, confidence, and wellbeing during times of transition 
• Psychological safety programs that empower leaders, managers, and peers to help build an open, supportive workplace culture where all employees feel safe to speak up, share concerns, and seek support for their wellbeing at work 

Grief as a Lesson on Leadership 

As workplaces everywhere continue to undergo tremendous change in an already fast-changing world, grief will inevitably make its presence known at some point in some form. Leaders who anticipate its arrival and have a plan in place to address it will be the ones who benefit most from its ability to drive real growth. For acknowledging grief ultimately means listening to the concerns of employees—and acting with empathy and compassion to guide them through periods of fear and uncertainty. As the workplace becomes populated by fewer teams—and more machines—this unmistakable show of regard for people’s wellbeing, confidence, and trust will be key to maintaining engagement and resilience in a tech-dominated world of work.  

Elevate your approach to growth—connect with us to transform loss into a lever for lasting success.