The title of this post is a quote from Mary Parker Follett, a social worker and management consultant who pioneered the concept of participative leadership.
When people feel seen, valued, and proud, they contribute differently, collaborate differently, care more, recover from setbacks faster, and stay longer. That is why you want to build a culture of belonging.
For decades, leaders have treated belonging as a cultural bonus — something that’s nice to have once performance is strong. But research and experience tell us the opposite. Belonging isn’t the reward of high performance; it’s one of the conditions that makes high performance possible.
Long lasting, deeply integrated, and fully inclusive belonging does not happen by accident. It is built intentionally by including everyone on the team. And the leader cannot be only person championing and supporting this initiative, but building a culture of belonging is within an inspired leader’s ability and responsibility. Belonging must include everyone on the team for their ideas, energy and participation.
What Belonging Actually Looks Like in Action
Belonging does not mean everyone agrees or that all tension disappears. And it certainly does not mean lowering standards around accountability or quality. In fact, real belonging raises standards, accountability and productivity because people feel safe enough to challenge, disagree, and stretch. It’s also not surprisingly that belonging raises employee engagement, loyalty and customer satisfaction.
The research is clear. Studies from BetterUp show that employees with a strong sense of belonging demonstrate significantly higher performance and dramatically lower turnover risk. In addition, Gallup has repeatedly found that when employees feel someone at work cares about their well-being and success, they are more engaged and more productive.
As Patrick Lencioni says, “Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they’re doing it because they care about the team.”
When we don’t have a culture of belonging people hold back. They hesitate before offering an idea and carefully edit their words. They stay silent in meetings where they could contribute. They do their work, but they don’t fully bring themselves. What is often called an engagement problem is actually a belonging problem that only looks like an engagement problem.
Inspired leaders build a culture of belonging by appreciating each moment in our day and each employee. It doesn’t happen by posting team values on their boardroom wall or website. It happens when a leader builds trust and models behaviour, like when they:
- Are crystal clear about and uncompromisingly supportive of the team vision and values.
- Give credit and recognition quickly.
- Demonstrate respect consistently.
- Address tension and difficult conversations directly.
- Invite all voices including the quietest voice into the discussion.
- Invite all voices to speak truth — as long they are also kind and respectful.
- Admit, “I was wrong” and “I don’t know, but I am sure we can find a way”.
- Support a culture of learning, growth and evolution (often thought of as change).
Creating a culture of belonging also requires something more challenging… letting go.
- Letting go of needing to have the last word.
- Letting go of controlling every decision.
This kind of culture doesn’t emerge from policy. Researchers like Amy Edmondson have shown that psychological safety… the belief that you can take interpersonal risks without fear… is foundational to learning, innovation, and team performance.
Leadership is about creating a space where your team have the safety and the support they need to keep showing up. When leaders make space, others fill that space with their creativity and passion… and when they do it’s an excellent way to also lower their stress (and your) and increase job satisfaction. When people feel their voice matters, they begin investing even more of their effort and energy.
Belonging Is Built on Purpose
Every organization has a culture. The only question is whether it is intentional and nurtured.
As John C. Maxwell says, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
Belonging grows from what leaders tolerate, reinforce, and model. When leaders choose curiosity over control, courage to share constructive feedback over comfort, and humanity alongside accountability, something powerful happens. Teams stop editing themselves. They care, contribute fully, feel proud, have fun (which lowers stress and sharpens thinking), and they stay longer.
Building a culture of belonging is not about being nice. It is about building teams that know exactly what their shared goals (vision) and values are, are braver, more collaborative, more innovative, and more loyal.
Brené Brown says it well, “True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”
And it starts with one simple decision… as an inspired leader, will you create space for others to fully and respectfully show up?