A Personal Stake: Leading Without Belonging
In her early years as a leader, Sunita Sehmi found herself in a boardroom that commanded presence but offered little connection. Despite her credentials and drive, she describes, “It was as if I was present, but not seen,my input weighed, but my perspective never truly welcomed”. Sehmi’s experience is far from unique at the executive level, where inclusion often fades as one climbs the ladder. New research shows that while 70% of executives value workplace belonging, just 39% feel it themselves, revealing a dangerous gap with profound implications for leadership performance.
Why Belonging Now? The Strategic Urgency
At a moment when global talent wars and digital transformation reshape organizations, belonging is emerging as a defining metric for C-suite success. According to a 2022 Harvard Business Review survey, companies with high executive belonging reported 50% higher employee retention rates and 34% upticks in innovation. Academic research links inclusive cultures at the top with measurable business outcomes, from performance gains to better risk management[3]. As Sehmi notes, “The feeling of truly belonging elevates leaders it gives them permission to tackle what matters, take risks, and inspire followership.”
The Business Case: Outcomes Across Sectors
These figures reveal belonging as a lever for concrete gains. In Google’s much-cited study, psychological safety, a proxy for belonging, correlated with higher team productivity and breakthrough innovations. Deloitte’s multi-year analysis in finance firms echoes this trend, finding diversity initiatives that embed belonging outperform those focused solely on representation.
Sehmi’s SHARP Framework: Practical Steps for Leaders
What separates performance cultures from inclusive ones? For Sehmi, the answer lies in actionable frameworks. Her SHARP model Safety, Honesty, Acceptance, Recognition, Purpose, guides executives to embed belonging in daily practice. “Leaders need to ask, ‘Who gets heard? Who gets credit? Who feels safe failing here?’” Sehmi says. Implementation starts at the top:
- Safety: Elevate psychological security; encourage candor without repercussion.
- Honesty: Model authentic dialogue, especially around dissent.
- Acceptance: Normalize difference not just tolerate it.
- Recognition: Acknowledge both effort and outcome regularly.
- Purpose: Anchor belonging in the company’s mission, giving work collective meaning.
As management professor Jean Latting observes, “Belonging is not just a human resource matter; it’s a board-level imperative. The tone set by the executive team ripples outwards”.
The Cost of Ignoring Belonging
Conversely, organizations that neglect belonging invite churn, stagnation, and lost opportunity. “A C-suite where leaders feel isolated is a risk multiplier,” according to Deloitte research. Burnout, costly turnover, and diversity ‘optics’ without real change erode credibility both inside and out. As Sehmi remarks, “You can have all the metrics on paper, but if leaders don’t feel they belong, it will show,eventually, everywhere it matters”.
Case in point: A multinational bank’s failed diversity push saw executive engagement scores plummet when belonging was overlooked. Talent acquisition costs surged, innovation pipelines dried up, and the brand suffered public reputational hits[5].
Embedding Belonging: Leadership’s Next Step
The road forward demands intentionality. Action steps include:
- Integrating belonging metrics into board dashboards.
- Training the C-suite in the SHARP model’s core components.
- Creating peer networks to break executive isolation.
- Appointing a ‘Belonging Officer’ or inclusion champion at the executive level.
Sehmi’s advice: “Leaders who prioritize belonging don’t just retain talent they unlock it. The real superpower is making everyone at the table feel authentic, seen, and safe to speak truth to power”.
For leaders seeking durable advantage, fostering belonging isn’t an HR exercise ,it’s the next essential lever for innovation and resilience. The boardroom of the future hinges not on who’s at the table, but on who truly belongs there.
