Greater Good Magazine (UC Berkeley)

When Diversity Is Stressful, Focus on Building Trust

Claude Steele’s new book *Churn* extends his seminal work on stereotype threat by naming the anxiety that arises when diverse identities intersect in high‑stakes situations. He argues that this "churn" hampers performance and flow, but can be mitigated through explicit trust‑building signals. Steele illustrates the concept with classroom and workplace experiments, showing that perceived fairness and genuine curiosity lower identity‑based tension. The book offers concrete strategies for leaders to create environments where diverse participants feel seen as whole people, not stereotypes.