Three Leadership Moves to Cultivate Spaces that Foster Belonging

Outline

The talk opens with a brief personal story about a moment when a teacher or staff member felt unseen or dismissed at work. The facilitator uses this story to draw attention to a universal truth: belonging is not a feeling we stumble upon—it’s an experience leaders intentionally create. A quick show of hands invites the audience to reflect: “Who here has worked in a space where you didn’t feel like you belonged?”

The first leadership move focuses on building psychological safety. A short video clip or photo montage illustrates small leadership gestures—admitting mistakes, asking for feedback, or acknowledging effort—that cultivate trust. The speaker explains how psychological safety is foundational to innovation, risk-taking, and retention. The audience is prompted with a reflective question: “What signals do you send that it’s safe to speak up?”

The second leadership move centers on bridging the margins and the mainstream. The speaker describes how power and voice often flow to the “mainstream” of a school’s culture while others remain at the edges. Using a powerful visual or quote, the facilitator highlights examples of leaders who redistribute voice by listening to and elevating staff who are often unheard. Audience members are asked for a quick hand raise: “How many of you make time each week to listen to someone outside your immediate circle?”

The third leadership move emphasizes forming communities that last. The speaker shares an anecdote from a school that redesigned simple routines—team meetings, morning announcements, or end-of-week reflections—to strengthen connection across lines of role, identity, and experience. A brief audio clip or quote from staff underscores how consistency in community-building fosters belonging.

The talk concludes with a compelling call to action: belonging isn’t accidental—it’s built, daily, through leadership moves that model care, redistribute power, and sustain connection. The speaker invites the audience to silently identify one leadership move they will commit to practicing this week, ending with the line: “Belonging doesn’t just happen. Leaders build it.”

Outcomes

Recognize how dynamics between the margins and mainstream influence belonging in school communities.

Apply strategies that build psychological safety and inclusive communication.

Implement community-building routines that foster connection and shared purpose among all staff.

Supporting research

Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational psychology review, 30(1), 1-34.

Cohn-Vargas, B., Kahn, A. C., Epstein, A., & Gogolewski, K. (2021). Belonging and inclusion in identity safe schools: A guide for educational leaders. Corwin Press.

Bluestein, J., & Hierck, T. (2025). Creating Emotionally Safe Schools:(Cultivate emotional safety and belonging for students and staff). Solution Tree Press.

Kennedy, J. T. (2021). Belonging: The secret to building engagement for employees of all backgrounds. Leader to Leader, 2021(99), 45-51.

Gittens, A., Christianson, K. A. R. E. N., & Steiner, E. (2023). Conditions that teachers of color perceive as contributing to a sense of belonging at school.

Vaccaro, A., Swanson, H. J., Marcotte, M. A., & Newman, B. M. (2019). Insights into the sense of belonging from women of color. Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity (JCSCORE), 5(2), 33-65.

Monges, M. T. G. (2025). Leading for Belonging: How Culturally Proficient Leadership Influences Underrepresented Staff’s Sense of Belonging in Nonprofits (Doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Diego).

Gabbadon, A. T. (2023). Support and retain educators of color: 6 principles for culturally affirming leadership. ASCD.

Achinstein, B., Ogawa, R. T., Sexton, D., & Freitas, C. (2010). Retaining teachers of color: A pressing problem and a potential strategy for “hard-to-staff” schools. Review of educational research, 80(1), 71-107.