Why Some Teams Feel Like Home (and Others Don’t)
It’s Monday morning. The project team gathers around the table. Alex cracks a light joke that gets everyone smiling. Priya listens intently, nodding warmly as others speak. James brings fresh energy to the conversation, while Sarah grounds it all by keeping the group focused on the end goal. When tension flickers as deadlines come up, Daniel calmly reassures everyone, steadying the room.
By the end of the meeting, no one walks out wondering if they belong—they feel part of something solid.
This isn’t luck. It’s personality at work. New TALY research shows that the feeling of team belonging is shaped by a handful of traits that quietly set the tone for connection and cohesion.
At TALY, we make it easy to integrate these insights into your organisational talent strategy - especially during key moments when leaders need information the most: recruitment, coaching, delivering feedback, team-building, and change management.
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The science of belonging
At TALY, we researched how our personality traits show up in work at life in a large sample (N = 1,841).
When we dug into the data, five traits stood out as strong predictors of team cohesion: optimism, warmth, extroversion, achievement drive, and emotional regulation. Together, they act like social glue—helping teams not only function but thrive.
What we found….
Optimism sparks trust
Risk Optimism emerged as one of the strongest predictors. People who believe things will work out tend to approach teammates with trust instead of suspicion. They assume goodwill, give colleagues the benefit of the doubt, and carry a hopeful mindset into group work. This matters because teams thrive when members feel psychologically safe. Optimists set that tone, making it easier for everyone else to take risks, share ideas, and lean into collaboration without fear of judgment. In short, their faith in good outcomes becomes contagious—and belonging grows from that shared trust.
Warmth makes connection stick
Agreeableness, particularly its warmth facet, shapes how easy it is for people to connect. Those who are warm and approachable lower the barriers for others to engage. In team life, this looks like more open conversations, more checking in on colleagues, and more effort to bring quieter voices into the fold. It’s not just about being “nice”—it’s about creating the emotional glue that holds people together. Teams with more warmth don’t just work side by side; they build relationships that feel genuine, which is the essence of belonging.
Energy fuels engagement
Extroversion also stood out strongly. People who naturally bring energy, sociability, and presence become catalysts in team settings. They keep the social wheels turning, initiate conversations, and make sure interactions don’t dry up. This visibility keeps them firmly woven into the fabric of daily team life—and their presence often pulls others in with them. Importantly, their outward engagement signals inclusion: they don’t wait to be invited, they actively build the “us” that others can join. Teams need this spark to avoid drifting into silos or quiet detachment.
Drive aligns with purpose
Conscientiousness-Achievement showed a clear link with belonging too. These are the teammates who stay focused, work hard, and show up consistently. Their drive reassures others that the team’s goals won’t be left hanging. Cohesion builds when people feel they’re working toward something meaningful together, and high achievers reinforce that sense of shared purpose. By modelling commitment and reliability, they become anchors of trust—others know they can be counted on, which deepens the sense of being “in it together.”
Steadiness holds it together
Finally, managing and controlling emotions was a critical piece. Teams inevitably face stress, setbacks, or disagreements. Those who can stay composed and regulate their reactions become stabilisers in these moments. Their calm presence not only prevents conflict from escalating but also helps others feel safe enough to stay engaged. When people know the emotional tone won’t spiral out of control, they can relax into being themselves. This steadiness under pressure creates an environment where belonging isn’t fragile—it endures even when challenges arise.
The bigger picture
Belonging doesn’t just “happen.” It’s built daily, through optimism that fuels trust, warmth that invites connection, energy that drives engagement, drive that keeps purpose alive, and steadiness that maintains safety. These qualities don’t just help individuals feel at home—they create the conditions for everyone to feel part of something that lasts.
For leaders, the takeaway is that belonging isn’t created by trying to change people’s personalities — it’s about shaping the conditions where those traits naturally shine. That means coaching optimists to set the tone without overlooking risks, encouraging warm connectors to include others, giving energisers constructive space to lift morale, aligning achievers with the team’s shared purpose, and leaning on steady hands to hold the group through pressure. Giving space to recognise people’s strengths, and moving out of the way to let them shine when the moment really counts.
The leadership lesson: belonging grows when you coach balance. By drawing out these strengths in context, and ensuring no single trait dominates, you create a team environment where connection feels natural, safe, and enduring.