Smart Leaders Drive High Performance Through Belonging—Not Burnout

Employee disengagement is rising—and it’s costly:

• 59% of employees are quietly disengaged
• Burnout is the top driver, fueled by heavy workloads and a lack of support
• Disengaged teams cost U.S. businesses an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity each year

The workload isn’t going anywhere—and raises, perks, and bonuses aren’t realistic solutions. Even when available, research shows those incentives only go so far.

You can’t keep asking your team to do more—but you can help them tap into their intrinsic motivation and resilience by creating a culture of belonging.

Smart leaders are prioritizing belonging because it delivers measurable performance gains—without requiring extra budget.

Belonging Fuels Performance from the Inside Out

Belonging is the universal human need to feel valued and accepted. Alongside love, it’s a key driver of self-esteem, motivation, and resilience.

When people feel they belong, they experience less stress, bounce back from setbacks faster, and stay more engaged. The data backs it up. Teams with strong belonging see:

• 56% higher job performance
• 50% lower turnover risk
• 75% fewer sick days

Motivating employees from within by fostering belonging is what I call Holistic Performance—an approach to leadership that drives results by balancing high expectations with genuine care for wellbeing. It’s about working hard and working healthy, so burnout isn’t the cost of success.

👉 Watch my TV interview to learn how Holistic Performance is helping leaders transform their teams.

Everyone Needs Belonging, Including You

You might assume you don’t need belonging to stay motivated—but all workers are human first. And humans perform at their best when they feel seen, supported, and connected.

Think of someone who made you feel like you truly belonged. What impact did that have on your effort, confidence, or results? Now imagine creating that same dynamic across your team. That’s how you build a high-performance culture from the inside out.

How to Start: The 3 C’s of Belonging

You don’t need new tools or more time—just a shift in mindset. Belonging is built through small, intentional actions that fit into the rhythm of your 1:1s, meetings, and daily interactions. Here’s a simple framework to guide you: the 3 C’s of Belonging.

1. Comfort (Psychological Safety): Create a space where people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and share concerns—without fear of judgment, dismissal, or penalty.
2. Connection: Help your team feel part of something bigger than their to-do list. Reinforce shared goals, mutual respect, and a sense of purpose.
3. Contribution: Make sure every person knows their work matters. Seek input, act on feedback, and show how individual efforts drive team success.

Need a place to start? Think back to that someone who made you feel like you belonged. What did they say or do that made a lasting impact? Borrow a bit of that energy—and bring it to your team. One small, consistent gesture can spark a powerful shift in how people feel, show up, and perform.

Start small. Stay consistent. And trust that when people feel like they belong, high performance always follows.