Visible, vulnerable and vital: leadership lessons from building belonging in healthcare

Newcomers to healthcare organisations often experience unspoken barriers to belonging, including cultural dissonance, microaggressions and systemic exclusion. As a visible minority and female leader, I frequently became a point of cultural reassurance for new staff seeking both guidance and recognition.

One interaction in particular, a question about where to find biryani spices locally, illustrated that newcomer staff were often seeking more than orientation to organisational processes. Many were also searching for connection, cultural familiarity and a sense of belonging within both the workplace and the broader community. This moment inspired the development of an open forum for internationally trained and newcomer staff to share experiences of exclusion, cultural adjustment and emotional labour.

This experience reinforced the importance of leadership grounded in empathy, authenticity and community-building. It also highlighted how representation can help create environments where staff feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Attention to team readiness, intentional facilitation and the use of facilitators without direct supervisory authority appeared to encourage participation and open discussion.

Belonging cannot be mandated by policy alone; it emerges through relationship-based practices. Leaders must assess when teams are ready for equity-focused conversations, create accessible spaces for lived experience and resource psychological safety. As a result of this session, an employee resource group was launched, and broader discussions about equity have gained momentum.