How to Lead Through Belonging and Inclusion

🌱 The Growth Mindset Mistake Most Leaders Make Growth mindset leadership isn't just about you growing. It's about creating conditions where everyone can flourish. Especially those who've been told they don't belong. I learned this through failure during my time leading global teams. For years, I thought cultivating my own growth mindset was enough. Read books. Attend workshops. Embrace challenges. But something crucial was missing. The breakthrough came during a product innovation meeting at Fox. A quiet LGBTQ+ team member finally shared an idea after months of silence. When I asked why they hadn't spoken up sooner, their answer stunned me: "I didn't think someone like me belonged in these conversations." That moment transformed my understanding. A true growth mindset culture isn't just believing YOU can grow. It's creating spaces where EVERYONE believes THEY can grow. Here's how to build radical kindness into your growth mindset leadership: 1️⃣ Normalize learning in public When leaders admit they're still learning about inclusion, it gives permission for everyone to be a work in progress. 2️⃣ Celebrate the attempt, not just success In our team reflections, we highlight risks taken, not just wins. This shifts focus from "being smart" to "getting smarter." 3️⃣ Make belonging explicit Don't assume people know they belong. Say it directly: "Your perspective is exactly why you need to be in this room." 4️⃣ Question your comfort with certain voices If you're comfortable with the same people always speaking, ask yourself who might be missing. 5️⃣ Recognize that safety isn't equally distributed Team members from underrepresented groups often need more consistent signals of safety. The most powerful moment in my leadership wasn't mastering a skill. It was watching someone who had been silenced elsewhere find their voice in our radically kind space. 💡 Growth mindset leadership at its best doesn't just transform individuals. It transforms systems of belonging. What signals are you sending about who can grow in your organization? In Community and Conversation, 😃 Jim

Belonging doesn’t happen by accident. You can have a friendly team, a solid project documentation doc, and still end up with a new hire who never quite finds their footing. Because feeling welcome isn’t the same as feeling like you belong. Belonging is about being seen, heard, and safe to show up fully. Belonging means the reciprocal trust of team members to spitball ideas, try things, and fully collaborate. Belonging means you won’t get called a “DEI hire” when you are the only women on the team or called lazy when you have to take your wife to chemo at 3pm. Belonging means you have healthy working relationships with your colleagues, and they give you the benefit of the doubt. If you’re a people leader - it’s your responsibility to create this environment. You set the tone for the culture of belonging on your team from the first day a new team member starts. Here are a few things I do to set the stage for belonging: 1. Make introductions personal. Not just names and roles—share interests, experience, and proud moments from their lives. 2. Share team norms explicitly. Onboarding a new hire is a great opportunity to verbally reinforce the cultural norms that are expected to to everyone. 3. Invite their voice early. Ask their opinion in meetings. Let them see their input matters before they feel “ready.” When people feel like they belong, they don’t just integrate faster—they contribute more confidently, collaborate more openly, and stick around longer. Your team is happier, is more likely to hit goals, and you; you earn the place of amazing leader that built the best team they ever worked on. ❤️

💠 Inclusive Leadership: Creating a Culture That Embraces Diversity💠 As an HR leader, I’ve seen firsthand how the strength of a company truly lies in its people—and the diversity of perspectives they bring to the table. But real inclusion goes beyond simply hiring a diverse workforce. It’s about creating an environment where every person feels valued, heard, and empowered. As HR leaders, we have the responsibility—and the opportunity—to build inclusive environments that don’t just check boxes, but genuinely empower individuals to bring their whole selves to work. I’m passionate about this topic because it’s a challenge we all need to face head-on: How do we cultivate a culture of belonging that allows everyone to thrive? Here’s what I’ve found works to move the needle in building an inclusive workplace. 🔹 Lead by Example: Leadership sets the tone. Commit to ongoing learning about diverse perspectives and model inclusive behaviors. Your openness can inspire others to follow. 🔹 Foster Open Dialogue: Create safe spaces for employees to voice their experiences, ideas, and concerns. Implement regular check-ins and feedback channels that encourage honest conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 🔹 Revamp Hiring and Development: Go beyond the resume. Focus on building diverse teams by removing biases in recruitment and offering equal growth opportunities for all employees, regardless of background or identity. 🔹 Measure, Adjust, Repeat: Regularly assess DEI efforts through employee surveys, data analysis, and feedback loops. Be willing to adjust your strategies based on what the data and your employees are telling you. 🔹 Celebrate Differences: Acknowledge and celebrate the diverse cultures, identities, and experiences that make up your organization. Whether through employee resource groups (ERGs) or company-wide events, find ways to amplify diverse voices. Inclusive leadership is a journey, not a destination. It requires ongoing commitment, curiosity, and empathy—but the reward is a workplace where everyone thrives. How is your organization fostering a culture of belonging? If you’re looking for ways to build a culture of belonging, HR Soul Consulting would love to discuss how we can support your organization on this journey. #HRLeadership #InclusiveWorkplace #DEI #CompanyCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Belonging #soulifyyourhr

Wednesday Q&A Q: "I keep hearing about Inclusive Leadership and how important it is. I understand the importance of inclusivity in recruitment, but what does it mean in daily leadership?" Inclusive leadership is not just about who you hire. It's about how people feel once they're on the team: day to day, meeting to meeting, project to project. These are some examples of how Inclusion looks in daily leadership practice: 🔷 You listen to understand, not just because you have to. You create space for different voices, not just the loudest or most confident ones. You open your mind to hear other views, even if you don't like them. 🔷 You challenge bias in everyday decisions. From project assignments to who gets recognition, you pay attention to the patterns. Who's always in the spotlight? Who's missing from key conversations? 🔷 You create opportunities for all, not just the familiar few. Inclusion means actively seeking ways to bring more people and voices into the room, rather than being surrounded by the same familiar and convenient ones. When you exercise it, Inclusiveness becomes a healthy leadership habit. In my personal experience, when I was in a leadership role and had to make important decisions, I always made sure to consult with the team member whose style and thinking were most different from my own. Was it uncomfortable sometimes? Yes! Did I get annoyed by hearing an opposite opinion? Yes! But did it help me make more balanced, inclusive decisions? Yes! Different perspectives make stronger leaders.