You Belong Here

Description

In a world overcrowded with labels, don’t allow your identity to be defined by other people. Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don’t.

Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life—when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, “I don’t belong here.” To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.

You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation. Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.

Readers will explore our four identities:

• Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world.
• Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we’ve chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world.
• Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism.
• Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.

In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity. We learn to rewrite the stories that aren’t serving us and embrace the ones that do. Rather than look for a seat at someone else’s table, we find the tools to build our own. 

When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society. Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it’s the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.“Insightful, deep, profound. You Belong Here taught me how to build a culture of belonging with people, rather than for people. As the CEO of a large humanitarian organization working across 20 countries, this book offered invaluable guidance about how to build a stronger, more inclusive culture.”
—Jocelyn Wyatt, CEO, Alight
 
“You Belong Here is required reading for any leader who wants to foster a culture of belonging; and that should be everyone with the privilege to lead an organization or team. Kim Dabbs’ powerful exploration is as poignant and personal as it is practical and actionable. I came away with a deeper understanding of what it means to build a culture of belonging—and better equipped to do just that. Dabbs has made a very meaningful contribution to this field, and her readers—and our world—will be the better for it.”
—Greg Behrman, founder and CEO, NationSwell
 
“Kim has captured the essence of a collective struggle of the outsider experience and turned it into an actionable framework for everyone to learn to lead with empathy and kindness. This is a book for anyone looking to create impact and for the changemakers of the world. We belong here.”
—Lani Tao, Senior Regional Inclusion and Diversity Manager, Kering
 
“The more our world became connected the more people have felt reattached. Belonging is the script for attachment.”
—James P. Hackett, retired President & CEO, Ford Motor Co.
 
“This book is a gift. A leading perspective on acceptance and empowerment for culture pioneers grappling with the labels of their generation.”
—Gaia Borgias, Strategic Engagement Manager, Teague

“This book is a truth-filled, powerful reminder that we all have work to do to seek and embrace our own belonging, especially if we hope to support and build up belonging of others in our teams and communities.”
—Dr. Susie Wise, author of Design for Belonging and founder of the Stanford d.school K12 LabKim Dabbs is a global leader in the area of Belonging and Purpose. As a thought leader, author, and speaker, she currently serves as the Global Vice President of ESG and Social Innovation at Steelcase. She has a passion for building cultures of belonging and is leveraging that mindset as she partners with organizations leading transformational change projects around the world. Her personal experience and professional history focus on helping leaders, organizations, and communities with the tools to create a more equitable and inclusive world. She’s given talks at MIT, the Aspen Institute, the Drucker Forum, Ford Fund, and The Conference Board. She is a Korean-born, American adoptee currently residing in Munich, Germany.CA

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