Leaders Must Be Self-Aware of Their Own Unconscious Biases
With diverse teams so clearly out-performing very cohesive teams, why is it that so many efforts to diversify leadership groups fail or make only very slow progress?
It is well documented that teams with a diverse membership create more value. Therefore, many companies, very appropriately, strive to find ways to create more diversity amongst their teams, including amongst their top leadership team. Diversity may be in terms of observable criteria like gender, race or disability, or it may be more subtle such as people having different preferred communication styles, perspectives, backgrounds, and tendencies.
Based on my own personal journey through self-discovery, I think the reason so many leaders fail to effectively drive diversity lies in the emotional resistance of the leaders themselves. No leader is going to be able to create, build, or maintain a diverse team without first going through their own journey of self-awareness to bring their unconscious biases to light.
Unconscious biases are well-named. They are UNCONSCIOUS! We are not aware of these biases until we are confronted by them. We do not acknowledge our own biases as true until the evidence is mercilessly, and repeatedly, forced into our view, to forever change the way we see ourselves, our place in the world, and how we naturally react to our environment.
Taking the Self-Awareness Journey
Leaders today benefit from an abundance of education and awareness opportunities around the topics of diversity and unconscious bias. I would argue, however, that training is not enough. Many leaders have yet to go through their own, in-depth, self-discovery journey into the dark realm of their own biases. Until they become aware and really personalize the challenge of managing biases, they cannot successfully create, build, or maintain a diverse team. Certainly most leaders will acknowledge the concept of biases around diversity – but many haven’t personalized the discovery process and looked deeply at their own beliefs! This lack of self awareness will sabotage their efforts of diversification.
Fortunately, there are tools to help us undertake this journey. First, there are confidential, self-tests available on the web to help reveal your implicit association biases regarding many different topics. This is a good place to start in revealing possibilities that may take you a while to digest. I suggest all leaders should take similar tests, and then really think about the results – as the results may rock their self-image, and lead to personal growth!
The truth is that no one wants to believe that they are a ‘bad person’ or are biased in any way – even if they acknowledge the general topic of unconscious biases and ‘know’ that it is an entirely natural, evolutionary, self-protective mechanism for human beings. Before I took some of these tests, I would have denied my very-real biases – probably citing reasons like I was ‘brought up well,’ or because I was ‘well-educated’ and ‘open-minded.’ Sound familiar? We must confront the truth to move forward.
Now the tests alone may not convince you. Perhaps you really believe you do not posses the biases suggested in the test results. After-all the tests aren’t perfect – the authors of the suggested tests linked above even state that they “make no claim for the validity of these suggested interpretations.”
The test is just the beginning of the discovery process. Consider the test report as guidance to the direction of the journey. Next, the hard work begins.
The Really Hard Work
To truly digest the test results will take considerable time in reflection. Seeking the one-on-one leadership coaching services of a professional whose been down this path may be very helpful as you work through your thoughts. As I personally digested my results over a period of months(!), several coaches helped me to see topics from alternative view points that I would not have previously considered. This was my awakening. Yes, I found that the tests were accurate and I do now believe that I possess the unconscious biases suggested. These biases have unconsciously shaped my decisions and influenced my path for my entire life –
…and that is natural and normal!
We all have unconscious biases. By doing the hard work of self-awareness, leaders will become aware of how these biases shape their decisions, and the decisions of their teams. Once they are aware, they have the opportunity to take measures to counteract these biases. Note that ‘they have the opportunity’ to act differently, does not mean that they will do so! This is where a person’s emotional resistance may kick in and prevent forward progress. Leaders must get past their own emotions and acknowledge the truth to themselves. Unconscious biases do not automatically make someone a ‘bad person.’ Unconscious biases simply exist.
Leaders, who take the opportunity to counteract their biases, can put processes in place that will help diversity flourish, and align their own every-day actions and reactions to support, and build, a diverse team.
Conclusion
Leading a diverse team is hard work. It takes self-awareness of how your own biases are affecting the work environment. If a leader is emotionally resistive to the concept that they themselves are indeed biased, they cannot be effective in managing or promoting diversity. They will miss opportunities, will not be seen as genuine, and their diversity efforts will fizzle. The leader must take steps to uncover, understand, and then manage their own biases – as you cannot eliminate them, even if you consciously understand that the bias is illogical! Leaders also should become more in-tune with their team members’ biases and preferences, so as to manage the team and reduce unnecessary points of friction.
Your mission now, if you choose to accept it, is to proceed along your own path of self-discovery. Knock down your emotional barriers to become aware of YOUR biases, so that you can be a better leader! Contact me if you want a coach who has been down this path.
