06/08/2026
ELIMINATING CLIQUES: A LEADERSHIP REFLECTION ON BUILDING UNITY, TRUST, AND CULTURE
By Raymond J. Sands
Over the last two years, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on school culture, leadership, and the dynamics that influence how adults work together. As a principal, I have found myself jotting down observations, lessons learned, and moments that have challenged me to think differently about leadership. One topic that continues to surface in my reflections is the issue of cliques and how they impact organizational culture.
The more I reflect, the more I realize that one of the biggest mistakes leaders can make is believing that eliminating cliques means eliminating differences.
Schools are made up of people with different personalities, backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and perspectives. Those differences are not the problem. In fact, they are often one of our greatest strengths. The goal is not to make everyone think alike, act alike, or interact with the same people. The goal is to create a culture where differences do not become divisions.
Cliques are often discussed as though they are created intentionally, but I have come to believe that most are not. More often, they develop naturally when people seek connection, comfort, and familiarity. There is nothing wrong with friendships, professional partnerships, or close working relationships. The challenge occurs when those relationships unintentionally create barriers that leave others feeling disconnected, excluded, or unheard.
What has become increasingly clear to me is that every story has two sides.
Individuals who feel excluded often have legitimate concerns. They may believe certain groups have greater access, influence, or opportunities. They may feel disconnected from decision-making processes or uncertain about where they fit within the organization.
At the same time, individuals who are perceived as being part of a clique often have a very different perspective. They may simply be working with trusted colleagues or maintaining long-standing friendships without any intention of excluding anyone. What one person views as a clique, another may view as a support system.
This reality requires leaders to approach the issue with wisdom rather than judgment.
Before we focus on changing others, we must first be willing to examine ourselves. As leaders, we should ask difficult but necessary questions:
• Do all staff members feel valued?
• Do all voices have an opportunity to be heard?
• Have we created opportunities for collaboration across departments, grade levels, and experience levels?
• Are our communication systems transparent and inclusive?
• Are we intentionally building relationships throughout the entire organization?
These questions have challenged me personally because they force me to look inward rather than outward.
As I have reflected over the last two years, I have come to realize that eliminating cliques is not simply about addressing groups of people. It is about understanding the conditions that allow divisions to develop in the first place. In many cases, cliques form when people feel disconnected, unheard, undervalued, or uncertain about where they fit within an organization.
That realization has forced me to look inward as much as outward.
As leaders, we sometimes focus on identifying the groups that exist without asking ourselves what conditions allowed those groups to form. Have we created enough opportunities for collaboration? Have we listened to all voices or only the loudest ones? Have we intentionally built bridges between people who may never naturally connect? Have we created systems where everyone feels a sense of belonging?
One lesson I continue to learn is that cliques are rarely eliminated through mandates or policies. They are overcome through relationships.
People are far less likely to retreat into exclusive groups when they feel connected to the larger organization. Visibility matters. Presence matters. Relationships matter.
As leaders, we must make a conscious effort to spend time with everyone, not just the loudest voices, department leaders, or those who are easiest to connect with. Every individual deserves to feel seen, heard, appreciated, and respected. When people feel valued, they become more invested in the success of the organization as a whole.
I also believe leaders must be intentional about creating opportunities for people to work together. Some of the strongest professional relationships develop when individuals unite around a common purpose. Whether through school improvement initiatives, professional learning communities, committees, mentoring opportunities, student support teams, or special projects, meaningful collaboration helps break down barriers that naturally develop over time.
Shared work creates shared experiences.
Shared experiences create trust.
Trust creates unity.
Unity creates culture.
At the same time, we cannot ignore behaviors that contribute to division. Gossip, negativity, assumptions, and “us versus them” thinking can quietly damage an organization’s culture. Left unchecked, these behaviors create walls that become increasingly difficult to remove.
When concerns arise, leaders have a responsibility to address them directly, professionally, and respectfully. Difficult conversations are rarely comfortable, but avoiding them often allows resentment to grow beneath the surface. Healthy cultures are built when issues are addressed with honesty, fairness, and mutual respect.
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned throughout my leadership journey is that most conflict is not rooted in bad intentions.
More often than not, people simply want to feel respected.
They want to feel informed.
They want to feel included.
They want to know their contributions matter.
When leaders create an environment where staff members trust the process and believe their voices have value, many of the conditions that allow cliques to form begin to disappear.
As I continue reflecting on this topic, I find myself returning to a simple conclusion: strong cultures are built when leaders focus less on groups and more on connections.
The objective is not to eliminate friendships.
The objective is not to eliminate differences.
The objective is not to force people into relationships that do not occur naturally.
The objective is to create an environment where relationships are broad enough, communication is open enough, and trust is strong enough that no one feels isolated or excluded.
Outstanding leaders understand that unity is not about sameness. It is about creating a culture where people with different perspectives can work together, learn from one another, and remain committed to a shared mission.
When adults feel valued, supported, and united in their work, everyone benefits.
In schools, the greatest beneficiaries are always the students.
Students thrive when they see adults modeling collaboration, professionalism, inclusion, and respect. They thrive when they witness people with different viewpoints working together toward a common goal. They thrive when the culture around them reflects the values we hope to instill within them.
As I continue to grow as a leader, this remains one of my most important reflections: a healthy culture is not measured by the absence of differences. It is measured by the ability of people with different experiences, perspectives, and personalities to work together in pursuit of something greater than themselves.
That is how divisions are reduced.
That is how trust is built.
That is how cultures are strengthened.
And that is how great organizations are created.
The work is never finished, but the effort is always worthwhile. Every step we take toward greater understanding, stronger relationships, and a more inclusive culture ultimately benefits the people we serve. For educational leaders, that means creating an environment where adults thrive so that students can thrive. In the end, culture is not something we inherit. It is something we intentionally build every day through our actions, our relationships, and our commitment to one another.
