Belonging at Work: Why Connection Is the New Measure of Culture

For many years, organisational culture was assessed through values statements, engagement scores, or employer branding. While these markers still matter, I believe they no longer tell the full story. In today’s workplaces, belonging has become the most accurate measure of culture, because it reflects how people actually experience the environment they work within.

Belonging is the feeling of being accepted, valued, and able to contribute without needing to mask who you are. It is not created through policies alone, nor does it emerge automatically from proximity or tenure. Belonging is built through everyday leadership behaviours that signal understanding, respect, and inclusion.

Empathy is foundational to belonging. Empathetic leadership allows leaders to recognise that people experience the same workplace very differently. When leaders take the time to understand these differences, they can create conditions where individuals feel seen rather than managed. This understanding strengthens connection and reduces the quiet disengagement that often accompanies feeling overlooked.

Listening-Led Leadership plays a central role in cultivating belonging. Leaders who listen actively gain insight into how culture is landing across teams and individuals. When people feel listened to, they are more likely to feel included in the organisation’s direction and decision making. Listening signals that contribution matters, not just compliance.

Neuroscience explains why belonging has such a profound impact on performance. The human brain is wired for social connection. When people feel excluded or marginalised, stress responses increase and cognitive capacity decreases. When belonging is present, people experience greater motivation, confidence, and willingness to collaborate. These conditions directly support engagement and sustained performance.

I have seen organisations invest heavily in culture initiatives without addressing belonging at a behavioural level. Without empathy and listening, cultural efforts can feel performative rather than lived. Belonging is not created by what is written on the wall, but by how people are treated in meetings, conversations, and moments of challenge.

Belonging also strengthens retention. People are far less likely to leave environments where they feel connected and valued. This connection creates loyalty that extends beyond role or reward. It is rooted in relationship and shared identity, both of which are reinforced through empathetic leadership.

Importantly, belonging does not require agreement or uniformity. Diverse teams thrive when difference is respected within a shared sense of purpose. Empathy allows leaders to hold this balance, ensuring that individuality is valued while cohesion remains strong.

I believe belonging is becoming the most important indicator of organisational health and the data supports this. It is the cultures where people feel they belong are more resilient, more innovative, and better equipped to navigate complexity together (with 21% higher profits, 51% less resignations and 68% higher levels of engagement.) Empathy and listening are the leadership capabilities that make belonging possible. And, in the end, culture is not what organisations say they value but how connected their people feel while doing the work. Are you seeing the shift?

About Mimi Nicklin:
Mimi Nicklin is a globally recognised keynote speaker, bestselling author, and Founder of Empathy Everywhere, working with organisations worldwide through leadership development, training, keynotes, masterclasses, and webinars. Recognised as the #1 Workplace Wellbeing leader, Mimi has reached over four million people globally through her work in empathetic leadership, listening, and Listening-Led Leadership, helping organisations strengthen employee engagement, workplace culture, and performance in complex, AI driven environments. Her work reframes empathy as a critical leadership capability grounded in neuroscience and applied through practical empathy training and organisational development. With a mission to reconnect one million people by 2028, Mimi Nicklin is emerging as one of the defining human leadership voices of this decade. Find out more via www.empathyeverywhere.co or [email protected]