Belonging: The Hidden Ingredient for Growth
Belonging Isn't Optional.
Belonging: The Hidden Ingredient for Growth
Embracing the most counter-cultural leadership edge.
By Julia LeFevre
When I spoke with Chris Weakly, the founder of Logical A, one phrase stayed with me.
He said he had spent much of his life masking, mimicking others in order to fit in. It was draining. Exhausting. Yet for years, it felt like the only way to be accepted in workplaces and relationships.
Then something shifted. Chris began showing his authentic self instead of trying to copy everyone else. What he discovered was powerful: the freedom to belong without pretense. With that freedom came greater energy, confidence, and contribution.
Chris’s story illustrates a truth many of us know but rarely talk about. Belonging is not optional. It fuels growth. It determines whether people thrive or whether they retreat into survival mode.
Think about it.
When you feel like you do not belong, your energy gets drained by self-monitoring.
When you feel accepted, your energy gets released into creativity, connection, and growth.
This reality is not limited to those who are neurodivergent. It applies to all of us. Belonging is a human need as essential as food or shelter. Without it, we settle for fitting in. With it, we step into our full potential.
As leaders, friends, or colleagues, the question we need to ask is: How can I create spaces where people no longer feel the need to mask who they are?
That might mean choosing curiosity over assumptions.
It might mean asking a simple question: What helps you show up as your best self here?
It might mean sharing more of your own story so others know it is safe to share theirs.
Chris reminded me, and I hope now he reminds you, that when we create environments of belonging, we are not only helping people feel comfortable. We are unlocking their capacity to contribute fully.
And in a world that needs every person’s unique gifts, belonging may be the most strategic investment we can make.
A Next Step for Leaders
If you are leading a team and want to unlock more creativity, collaboration, and growth, start by building belonging. I work with leaders and organizations to apply neuroscience and practical tools that move teams from surface-level performance to genuine thriving.
If that is the culture you want, let’s start a conversation.
