The culture you want? It’s already in the room.

Sponsored by

Welcome to the Leader’s Lens: The Perspective Shift issue!

This issue offers a fresh perspective and actionable tips to enhance your leadership this week.

Send me an email and let me know how you plan on implementing this perspective shift in your leadership!

Was this email forwarded to you?

Above The Frame: The Leader’s Lens Show!

Through the Lens: The Culture You Crave Starts With You

Too often, leaders ask:

This is a question I’ve asked myself the first 3 years of my middle management journey.

And for 12 years, I’ve been navigating this question within all stages of my leadership.

In mid-June, I facilitated a half-day workshop for a local county administration team navigating this exact question.

Here were some beliefs that were shared at the beginning of our session:

• We’ve kept belonging as just a buzzword, without making meaning of it for or particular workplace.

• We think we have no control over how we can shape our culture because of the organizational hierarchy and titles.

But what if belonging is a set of small, daily actions leaders either choose to engage with, or avoided?

So with this reframe, we got to work.

We didn’t talk about vague values, we spoke through specific challenges they were facing such as:

• Staff feeling exhausted by the emotional labor of being “welcoming”

• Lack of cross-team collaboration that fuels siloed efforts

• Frustration with performative gestures vs. lived accountability

• The hard truth: Belonging takes effort…but it doesn’t have to take forever

We spoke heavy on building “short-bridges” and “long-bridges,” using a tool I call the Short Bridges to Belonging Map to surface what small, specific actions leaders can take right now to increase inclusion, trust, and connection.

I walked away from the workshop inspired by the conversation!

These leaders shared specific actions within their control to build belonging within their workspace, as well as ensure their stakeholders felt welcoming through their actions.

None of these insights came from a higher up, C-Suite executive. They drew from their own experiences and opportunities within their daily work.

These leaders realized they don’t need permission to lead differently.

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

Here’s a reflection I offered them and now I’m offering to you:

“What’s one bold but doable action you can take this week to help someone on your team feel seen, heard, or valued?”

It could be:

• Shifting how you start meetings

• Letting someone else take the lead

• Pausing to ask: “Whose voice is missing from this decision?”

IF YOUR TEAM IS…

• Leading through change

• Managing tension around team dynamics

• Or trying to retain great people…

Let’s talk about how my signature workshop, “Belonging Culture By Design,” can be tailored to meet your needs for your team.

Here’s what participants shared they valued from this workshop:

• “The personal call-out! I can be solutions-oriented and step into creating the space I want to be in.”

• “Reflection with the group and getting different perspectives.”

• “I appreciated that this was team-focused.”

I also asked them what is one action they plan on taking from the workshop:

• “Have a discussion with the team on the one action.”

• “I’m building a department-wide guide for inclusive spaces.”

• “I’ll keep my team talking about this!”

This work matters more than ever.

Book a call or reply to this email and I’ll share more info!

Keep Leading Forward,
Ray

Whenever you are ready, here are ways you can work with me:

• 🎤Speaking - As a Speaker and Facilitator, I will engage your team on how belonging and inclusivity can increase your team dynamics! ​Book Ray Now

• 🤝Coaching - As a Coach, I will help you enhance the power of inclusivity and empathy to be an effective leader through an equity lens! Book a Call Now

• 📘Consulting - As a Consultant, I will help strengthen your organizational culture to increase the employee experience and retention! Book a Consultation Now

P.S. - Thank you to those who have filled out the survey letting me know more about your leadership journey! I am excited to dive into the results over the next couple of weeks to provide you with resources and content that will support your leadership! If you haven’t filled it out yet, do so by clicking the link here!

Looking for unbiased, fact-based news? Join 1440 today.

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Subscribe to 1440 today.