E183: You Belong Here: Building Pathways to Belonging- Unpacking Leadership Norms That Exclude

In the second episode of You Belong Here: Building Pathways to Belonging, Cami Eakins, CEO of Career Path Services; Lisa Grund, Strategic Communication and Relationship Partner for Career Path Services; and Dr. Anna Valiavska, organizational researcher and professor, examine the often-unspoken standards that shape who is recognized, trusted, and rewarded as a leader. Through candid personal stories and workplace examples, they explore how expectations surrounding professionalism, executive presence, emotional expression, appearance, communication style, and access to professional networks can privilege certain ways of showing up while creating barriers for others. The conversation also offers practical ways organizations can move beyond trying to "fix" individual leaders and instead examine their systems through more inclusive evaluation practices, belonging-centered manager training, and greater equity in delegation and decision-making authority.