079: The Importance of Belonging with Owen Eastwood
Apr 1, 2023
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Best-selling author and performance coach, Owen Eastwood, discusses the importance of belonging in teams and organizations. They explore heritage, identity, and leadership, the critical role of belonging in mental health, fostering authentic team connections, embracing legacy, and creating a sustainable future. They also touch on the influential impact of Phil Jackson's cultural coaching approach and emphasize the value of small actions for growth.
Belonging is vital for combating mental health issues and promoting well-being.
Effective leadership requires creating a cohesive team environment with clear goals and trust-building strategies.
Smooth transition into leadership roles involves aligning with the team culture and objectives for sustained success.
Proactively establishing a 'first team' mindset is key to overcoming bias and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams.
Deep dives
The Power of Belonging and Ancestral Connections
Belonging, highlighted by the author Owen Eastwood, emphasizes the profound impact of finding a sense of belonging within a team. Eastwood shares a deeply personal story of reaching out to his Maori tribe at 12, seeking his identity and connection. He unveils the concept of 'whakapapa', illustrating a lineage where individuals are interconnected through past and future generations, symbolized by the continuous sunlight. Leaders are advised to acknowledge and carry the full legacy of their ancestors, understand what the present moment requires, and create conditions for future successors to thrive.
The Impact of Belonging on Mental Health
The decline in mental health among 16 to 24-year-olds globally is linked to a loss of social identity and connection. Owen Eastwood underlines the essential role of belonging in combating chronic stress and fostering well-being. Social media, while offering connections, lacks the depth and authenticity of real human bonds, contributing to feelings of isolation and disconnection. By acknowledging the significance of belonging, individuals can cultivate healthier relationships and alleviate the detrimental effects of loneliness.
Leadership Strategies for Fostering Belonging
Effective leadership entails creating a cohesive team atmosphere, irrespective of the industry's nature. Strong leadership is synonymous with setting clear team-oriented goals, building trust among team members, and conveying a genuine care for individual well-being and belonging. Strategies like personalized feedback sessions, aligning personal growth with organizational goals, and fostering a sense of collective identity aid in nurturing cohesive and high-performing teams.
Transitioning Leadership Styles and Cultivating Team Dynamics
Transitioning leadership roles requires a seamless integration into the team's culture and objectives. Accenture's approach exemplifies how new leaders are familiarized with the organization's story, values, and vision, ensuring alignment and commitment. Understanding the context-specific need for team dynamics, even in traditionally individual-focused sectors like law, illuminates the necessity for leaders to prioritize team cohesion and shared purpose for sustained success.
Navigating Human Nature for Effective Team Dynamics
Addressing innate human tendencies towards forming cliques and favoring similar groups, leaders must proactively establish a 'first team' mindset where team objectives supersede individual loyalties. By crafting a counter-narrative focused on collective success, defining rules of engagement, and instilling accountability, teams can transcend inherent biases and foster inclusive, high-performing team dynamics. Acknowledging natural affinity biases while consciously steering teams toward shared goals underpins successful and cohesive team cultures.
Impact of Climate Change and Human Responsibility
The discussion delves into the significant impact of climate change and the ethical responsibilities we carry in addressing these global challenges. It highlights the juxtaposition of human achievements with the environmental harms caused, emphasizing the urgency to take action in the present moment to mitigate further damage. The narrative underscores the intergenerational continuity of consequences, urging a shift from passing on problems to future generations towards actively solving issues now.
Cultural Identity and Collective Visioning Processes
The conversation explores the importance of individual cultural identity and its integration within team dynamics. It advocates for anchoring individuals in their personal narratives to strengthen their belonging within group settings. Additionally, the adoption of a collective visioning process, using concentric circles, is suggested to align purpose with broader impacts on stakeholders, communities, and the environment. This approach aims to cultivate a sense of shared responsibility and empowerment at both personal and organizational levels.
In this episode, Dan and Tim sit down with best-selling author and performance coach, Owen Eastwood.
Owen's book Belonging has had a big impact on us at Cut Through Coaching, so we were delighted to be able to chat with him to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that present themselves when we work with people to enhance a sense of belonging in their teams and organisations.
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If you’d like to leave us a question for an upcoming Q&A episode, or you’d like to learn more about our work head over to: https://habitsofleadership.com/
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