The Power of Community: Why Connection is the Currency of the Future

I’ve been intrigued with the power of community since I was a child, on reflection.  Having grown up in a small country town, I think I have always been acutely aware of the feeling that you have when you know your neighbours and the people you greet as you walk down the street.  It’s a feeling that I have continued to seek out in my adult life, a desire for my own village.

This interest was sparked again in 2017 when I travelled to Malawi with The Hunger Project.  After immersing ourselves in the work they were doing to empower villages out of poverty, it was evident that despite how little many of these communities had, there was an undeniably strong sense of community that existed.  A joy, a sense of oneness. 

Inspired by this sense of community, I returned home, adopting this premise in my own business, rebranding to COMUNiTI and establishing our foundational purpose of “fostering the creation of communities where people feel connected”.

7 years on and my sense of what it truly means to live our purpose has continued to deepen.  I often reflect that it is one thing to know something and to speak it, but it is another entirely to live it and embody it.  It is now that I feel that I am truly embodying what it means to foster community and how that is infused into the many facets of my work.

Disconnection

In a world obsessed with productivity, performance, and endless progress, we’re starting to feel the cost of disconnection.

Disconnection from each other.
Disconnection from our values.
Disconnection from the natural rhythms that once guided how we lived and worked.

As human beings we are wired for connection. We are a social species. As sociologist Hugh Mackay states in his book The Way We Are;

“We’re herd animals.  Communitarians by nature.  Hopeless in isolation. Hopeless.  Can’t Function. Can’t flourish.  We need each other… to nurture and sustain us,and give us that all important sense of belonging that is so fundamental to the mental and emotional health of members of a social species.”

And when we forget that, when we build businesses, systems, and even lives that ignore that fact, something essential begins to unravel.

Being in and living in community isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a fundamental part of human wellbeing. It’s what carries us in the tough moments, holds us accountable when we drift, and reminds us of who we are when the world feels overwhelming. When you have true community, you're never navigating life alone. You're part of something greater, a shared heartbeat, a common thread.

Community as Culture

In my work with leaders and organisations, I see the similar challenges appearing; high-performing teams with low respect for one another, visionary leaders who feel isolated and misunderstood by their peers, cultures that are productive but not truly connected.

Often the missing link? Community.

Not in the sense of external stakeholder engagement or CSR strategies. But community as an internal culture—one that prioritises belonging, relational trust, and shared values. One that says: we rise together, or not at all.

My friend and mentor, Amber Hawken said something that struck me deeply:

“Leadership must embrace the philosophy that success isn’t solely measured by metrics, but by the impact and contribution to community life.”

That lands. Because leadership without relational connection is hollow. And businesses without human-centred culture are fragile, no matter the revenue on the balance sheet.

The Small Moments Matter Most

Creating true community isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about the micro-moments. Rituals. Routines. The way we start our meetings, the pauses we allow before rushing into problem-solving, the space we make for people to breathe and be real.

Amber talks about “coherence”—bringing our systems back into alignment through small acts of presence. Something as simple as taking three deep breaths before a meeting. Checking in with the person, not just the project. Creating rhythm in our days that honours the nervous system, instead of constantly overriding it.

These small moments build trust. And trust is the foundation of any thriving community.

Learning from Nature

We only need to look at the natural world to be reminded of how community thrives. Trees in a forest aren’t competing for light—they’re communicating through their roots, sending nutrients to each other, warning of danger. Birds migrate in formation, each taking turns at the front, sharing the burden of leadership.

Nature doesn’t operate from ego. It operates from ecosystem. Interdependence. Rhythm. Rest.

So why are we still building workplaces—and lives—that demand constant productivity, relentless output, and individual performance?

When we align with nature, we return to something wiser. We begin to see that slowing down, supporting each other, and creating space for the whole human experience isn’t weakness. It’s sustainability.

So What Does This Mean for Us?

It means we stop treating community as a side project and start seeing it as the foundation.
It means we build teams that value presence as much as performance.
It means we lead with intention, knowing that culture isn’t built by KPIs—it’s built in kitchens, in conversations, in moments of shared meaning.

It means we stop trying to go it alone.

Because when we build in community, we build resilience. We build trust. We build lives and businesses that don’t just function—they flourish.

And that is the kind of success I want to be part of.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to know:

✨ How are you bringing more connection into your work and life?

✨ What rituals help you stay grounded in community?

✨ Where could you pause, breathe, and realign?

Let’s keep this conversation alive—together.

Tune into my full conversation with Amber on the Work Life by Design podcast HERE

And if you're craving more connection to yourself, to others and to nature, come Exhale with me! 

In a world where we are constantly inhaling, take a moment… and exhale.

Nestled deep in the Tweed Valley, this retreat is your sanctuary to switch off from the outside world, turn inward, reconnect with your heart and soul, and release that breath you’ve been holding.