Creating a Culture of Belonging: Leadership Lessons from Jean Accius

At Learnit, we’ve worked with thousands of leaders trying to build better teams. The ones who succeed understand something many overlook: your workplace is more than a place to get work done—it’s a driver of health, identity, and belonging.

That’s exactly what Jean Accius believes. As CEO of Creating Healthier Communities (CHC), Jean is one of the most insightful voices on how workplace culture directly impacts mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.

When we spoke on The Learn-It-All Podcast, it was clear that Jean isn’t just thinking about organizational performance. He’s thinking about how leaders shape lives—whether they know it or not.

Here are three core lessons from our conversation—and how any organization can put them into action.

1. Start With People, Not Programs

“The U.S. Surgeon General said that social isolation is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And the workplace, when done right, actually prevents that.” — Jean Accius

Jean’s reminder is sobering: workplace culture is a public health issue. And leaders who ignore that risk more than disengagement—they risk deteriorating the lives of the people they lead.

At CHC, Jean starts not with strategy decks, but with human connection.

To build that, leaders must:
• Create genuine moments of check-in and care during meetings
• Normalize rest, reflection, and wellness without guilt
• Remove generational bias from policies—support the caregiver and the new grad equally
• Build benefits that reflect the full scope of employee needs (e.g., mental health, financial health, career growth)

Try this:
• Begin team meetings with a “human moment” before diving into business

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• Audit your benefits and onboarding language for assumptions
• Add mental well-being as a recurring leadership metric—not just something HR owns

2. Culture Is What You Reinforce

“We don’t say ‘but’ anymore. We say ‘and.’ Because ‘but’ shuts people down.” — Jean Accius

Jean knows that culture isn’t set by intention—it’s set by reinforcement. One of the most powerful things he did at CHC? Normalize learning, experimentation, and ownership.

That meant putting real systems in place:
• Shadow Days: Employees walk in someone else’s shoes and ask, “What can I do to help?”
• Million-Dollar Idea Fund: Not an actual million dollars—but a declaration that anyone can innovate
• Innovation Council: Staff-led experimentation zone for new ideas, with leadership support

“I ran a pilot that didn’t work. But I brought it to the team and said, ‘Let’s learn from it.’”

Try this:
• Set up a rotating innovation sprint—one new idea per quarter from staff
• Create a “fail forward” review: What did we try? What did we learn?
• Ban the word “but” in idea discussions. Replace it with “yes, and…”

3. Invest in Belonging, Not Just Engagement

“In D.C., if you live in Georgetown, your life expectancy is 96. But five miles away in Anacostia? It’s 67.” — Jean Accius

That 30-year gap isn’t about genetics—it’s about access, environment, and inclusion.

Jean doesn’t just talk about inclusion—he builds systems that make people feel seen and valued. And at CHC, that includes reimagining how organizations work across generations.

Here’s how CHC is operationalizing belonging:
• Intergenerational mentorship: Executives must mentor someone who doesn’t look like them
• Language audits: Job descriptions stripped of ageist assumptions
• Cross-generational storytelling: Creating shared understanding through lived experience

Try this:
• Start a reverse mentoring program that pairs Gen Z with senior leaders
• Review internal job postings for hidden bias language
• Host a storytelling circle once per quarter: “What made you feel seen at work?”

Build a Workplace That Heals, Not Hurts

Jean’s leadership model is as modern as it is ancient. It’s about proximity. Listening. Showing up. He’s not asking leaders to solve everything. He’s asking them to start with presence, ask better questions, and be willing to learn.

“Leadership isn’t about having the answers. It’s about being brave enough to ask the right questions—and care about the answers.”

What This Means For You

If you’re leading a team right now, ask yourself:
• Are people growing—or just grinding?
• Do they feel like they belong here?
• Am I reinforcing the behaviors I want to see, or just wishing for them?

Your workplace can be a source of healing, growth, and purpose. Or it can be a source of stress and decay. The difference? Leadership that chooses to get closer to the people they serve—through empathy, curiosity, and presence.

Let Jean’s model be a guide. Don’t just measure engagement. Build belonging. Don’t just design for outcomes. Design for humanity.

That’s how culture changes. That’s how workplaces thrive.

Listen to our full conversation on The Learn-It-All Podcast to go deeper into Jean’s work.

Let’s build better workplaces—together.