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Creating a Culture of Belonging: Inclusive Leadership

How to foster connection and respect through inclusive, strength-based leadership.

Key points

  • Cultivating a sense of belonging is essential for boosting employee retention and performance.
  • Inclusive leadership fosters trust, connection, and respect, empowering employees to thrive.
  • Empathy, flexibility, and personalized recognition strengthen workplace loyalty and engagement.
Mabel Amber/Pixabay
Welcome on board
Source: Mabel Amber/Pixabay

On my first day at a recent job, I came to work expecting a friendly welcome – but I was met with silence. There was no formal onboarding, no mentorship, no welcoming crew or committee. After a quick introduction to the business manager, I was told where to get my ID and then left to figure the rest out on my own. I distinctly remember walking into my first departmental meeting, eager to meet my colleagues, only for the boss to skip over introducing me entirely. Not really the type of environment that inspires a feeling of belonging.

The initial isolation stuck with me. Instead of waiting for the workplace culture to change, I decided to create my own sense of community. I started a lunch group, which grew into a regular coffee hour. I invited new hires to join informal meetups, fostering connections before and after department meetings. Over time, this small, self-made network became my anchor at work. But I often wondered – what if I hadn’t built that community myself? Would I still be here?

Chances are I would have left the job. Increasingly, researchers are realizing that cultivating a sense of belonging is critical for workforce retention. Historically, studies on workforce retention have honed in on more fundamental factors like pay, hours, and workload. These are all important qualities that cannot be ignored. But they are not sufficient, on their own, to significantly move the mark on workplace retention.

For anyone who has taken an introduction to psychology course, you may remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The theory postulates that lower-level needs must be met before you can progress to higher-level needs. At the base of Maslow’s hierarchy, physiological and safety needs must be met. This is where fundamentals like pay, hours, and workplace safety would fall. Just above that is the need for love and belonging. In a workplace, this translates to a sense of connection and feeling like part of the team.

According to Maslow’s theory, it’s impossible to be the best version of ourselves without meeting these fundamental needs. So although, yes, being paid fairly is important….it’s not enough to motivate employees to operate at their highest level. For that, you need to cultivate a culture of belonging.

7 Strategies for Inclusive Leadership

An inclusive leader is one who ensures every team member feels valued, heard, and respected. Inclusive leaders, by definition, work to ensure all team members are included and connected to the larger team. By implementing inclusive leadership practices, leaders will create a stronger sense of belonging and community within their units.

1. Create a Safe Place for Open Dialogue

When leading a team, managers should strive to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas, voicing concerns, and being authentic without fear of retribution, retaliation for having a differing opinion, or judgement. Promote safety by modeling vulnerability and openness. For instance, start team meetings by sharing a personal challenge or mistake and how you’ve learned from it. Then invite others to share their ideas or concerns, assuring them there’s no wrong answer. An inclusive manager might say, “I’m trying out a new process and I’d love your honest feedback – it’s okay to point out areas for improvement.” When employees see that leaders are open to critique, they’ll feel safer contributing their own ideas.

2. Encourage Diverse Perspectives

We’ve all been in a team meeting where one or two voices dominate the discussion. An inclusive leader can proactively address this by rotating facilitation roles or using structured methods like a “round-robin” to ensure everyone has a turn to speak. For instance, try saying “Let’s go around the table – I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts on this proposal before we move forward.” Highlighting and implementing ideas from quieter team members reinforces their value and shows the team that every perspective matters.

3. Become a Strength-Based Leader

Leaders operating from a deficit mindset will view employee differences and “bad.” In contrast, a strength-based leader views differences as unique and looks for opportunities to leverage these in ways that promote the strengths of the team. For example, if an employee consistently misses deadlines but excels in creative brainstorming, reassign their role to focus on ideation while pairing them with a detail-oriented team member for execution. Recognize the complementary strengths publicly: “Damian’s creativity and Sara’s organizational skills made this project a success!” This approach fosters mutual respect and belonging by emphasizing collaboration over competition.

4. Demonstrate Empathy and Cultural Sensitivity

Imagine onboarding a new team member who comes from a different cultural background. An empathetic leader might ask open-ended questions like, “What can we do to help you feel supported in this transition?” Celebrate cultural diversity by recognizing holidays or traditions that matter to team members. For example, a leader could say, “Let’s plan a potluck for Diwali next week. Can you share some foods or traditions we can highlight?” These actions show respect for individual identities and foster inclusion.

5. Support Work-Life Balance and Flexibility

Offering flexibility and family-friendly workplace environments is more important than ever before. Consider an employee who needs to adjust their hours to care for a sick relative. Instead of a rigid schedule, an inclusive leader might offer flexible options, like shifting start times or allowing remote work. During a performance review, the leader might say, “I want you to prioritize your family while continuing to contribute to the team – let’s discuss how we can make that work.” This demonstrates that you see employees as a whole person, not just workers, which builds loyalty and belonging.

6. Provide Consistent Recognition and Acknowledgement

Recognition doesn’t have to wait for big accomplishments. For example, an inclusive leader might say during a team meeting, “I want to shout out Teresa for stepping up and resolving that client issue last week – it made a huge difference.” Use personalized methods, like a handwritten note or a quick one-on-one, to show appreciation. You could say, “I noticed how you helped John onboard this week. That collaboration is exactly what makes our team great!”

7. Humanize the Workplace

Let employees know that you see and value them as real humans, and not just as cogs in a big business machine. For example, take 10 minutes in a team meeting to ask everyone to share something they’re excited about outside of work. An inclusive leader might also remember personal details – “How was your daughter’s recital last weekend” – to show genuine care. When employees feel valued, they report higher levels of satisfaction, motivation, and engagement. Importantly, employees who feel respected are more loyal to their company.

Cultivating a culture of belonging isn’t just a leadership trend – it’s a critical strategy for building stronger, more resilient teams. By creating an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and truly part of the team, leaders unlock their workforce’s full potential. Inclusive leadership isn’t about grand gestures; it’s about consistent, intentional practices that prioritize connection, celebrate diversity, and recognize the whole person. When leaders embrace these seven strategies, they foster a workplace dynamic where employees feel supported and inspired, fueling both individual and organizational success. In a world where talent retention is more competitive than ever, investing in belonging isn’t optional – it’s the future of leadership.

References

Jordan, A. C. (2024, November 21). How to be a transformative leader. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/leading-with-connection/202411/how-to-be-a-transformative-leader

Jordan, A. C. (2024, October 25). Flexibility is the new currency. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/leading-with-connection/202410/flexibility-is-the-new-currency

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346

Silver, J. K., Ellinas, E. H., & Augustus-Wallace, A. C. (2024) Sense of belonging is a critical component of workforce retention BMJ, 384, doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q392

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