10 Inspiring Leadership Quotes About Belonging in the Workplace

Everyone has an idea on what it takes to create a culture that attracts and keeps the best people. For some, it’s unique office perks like snack areas and game rooms. For others, it’s bringing people together at company-wide or team offsites. 

But one thing is clear, the teams that perform the best are the ones with the people who feel like they belong. According to Harvard Business Review’s The Value of Belonging at Work, 56% of employees who felt a strong sense of belonging were recognized as high performing team members.

So what does it take to create a sense of belonging in your organization? 

• Authenticity and accountability. Saying “You belong here” is great, but not if you don’t back it up with action. If there’s an issue in your team, dealing with it head on and applying the same rules to everyone builds trust across your organization.

• Shared values and norms. Your mission statement and company values are more than words. They’re the framework for how you work, how you treat your customers, and how you put them into action across your organization.

• Experiences. When it comes to belonging, “show, don’t tell” is the way to go. Team events need to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone. Hosting an after hours beer social might seem like a great way to get people chatting, but your employees with family priorities or non-drinkers might feel excluded.

• Connection. Every employee brings something unique to the workplace. Celebrate that and build connections between employees who might not know they have more in common than an email address.

Looking for more inspiration? Here are ten of our favourite quotes on the importance of belonging in the workplace.

1. "Belonging is not the same thing as feeling like you fit in. Belonging is when you feel valued for everything that makes you stand out."— Liz Fosslien, Head of Content at Atlassian 

2. "Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome."— Arthur Chan

3. "True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world. Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance."— Brené Brown, researcher and author

4. "Belonging is really the highest standard, which is that everyone in your workforce feels that they really do belong in this company."  — Amy Edmondson

5. "When people go to work, they shouldn't have to leave their hearts at home."— Betty Bender, author

6. “A machine is a resource; a human is not a resource. A human is a human and, as part of their life, a human being is going to work so it’s about asking how you make that experience enjoyable.” — Laurent Sylvestr

7. “It is our shared behaviors, passion for our mission, and treating each other like family that makes us more of a movement than a company. We believe that in order to create a world where you can belong anywhere, it starts here, with creating a place where all of our employees belong.” — Mark Levy, Airbnb

8. “People will typically be more enthusiastic where they feel a sense of belonging and see themselves as part of a community than they will in a workplace in which each person is left to his own devices.” – Alfie Kohn

9. "In hard times, urging people to stay positive doesn't boost their resilience. It denies their reality. People in pain don't need good vibes only. They need a hand to stay steady through all the vibrations. Strength doesn't come from forced smiles. It comes from feeling supported."— Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and author

10. “When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.” — Biz Stone, American entrepreneur