Leadership & Unconscious Bias
Introduction
“Sway: Unraveling Unconscious Bias,” by Dr. Agarwal [1] in which she talked about ‘unconscious biases’ and how it has affected the how we communicate, how decision is made, and even how we think. She talked about how it is instilled, or ‘hardwire’ within each individual, and how it is encouraged by our surroundings, and even from our cultures. From the Merriam Webster dictionary, it uses words like, ‘inclination of temperament, unreasoned judgement, bent, and tendency’ [2] to define bias.
In an article titled, “What is Unconscious Bias (And How You Can Defeat it),” the author defined it as, “Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias) refers to unconscious forms of determination and stereotyping based on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age, and so on.”[3] The author emphasized the importance of understanding unconscious bias, or implicit bias in order to be able to defeat it. For the purpose of this blog, I ask the question, ‘how is unconscious bias affect or influence one’s leadership?
Detecting Unconscious Bias
One’s leadership can be affected by unconscious bias; therefore, it is essential to be able to identify it in one’s work setting on within the team. Unconscious bias can be subtle but a challenge to leadership. It can have damaging effects on the decision-making, the culture, and how the teamwork. And the following are common types of Unconscious Bias in found in leadership:(a.) affinity bias – favor those with shared similarities, (b.) confirmation bias – focused on information that confirmed pre-existing thought, or belief, (c.) halo effect – single positive trait/ or perception about an individual influenced overall perceptions, (d.) horns effect – single negative trait or perception about someone disproportionately affected the overall judgement, (e.) gender bias, and (f.) age bias.[4]
Generally, when bias takes place, it is between at least two people with different race, ethnicity, gender or religion in which one has a negative perception of the other. At one time, me, my wife and our two kids relocated to certain part of city we lived in for few years. I was asked on separate occasion by two of my neighbors if I was renting or buying, just to confirm their curiosity. I even had to wait until they finish their sentences in other language; to tell them I had no clue what they just said. Other times, my family and friends and even family members that visited us would call multiple times as they are outside our home, just to make sure they are at the correct address. We lived in a regular normal neighborhood, I guess us being us, me and my family – Micronesians, in there does not look normal.
Debiasing Oneself
At the end of her book, she gave some helpful advice on how to tackle the issue of unconscious bias. Following is the suggesting for de-biasing oneself:(a.) understanding the nature of unconscious bias/implicit bias, (b.) take time and use logic before making a decision, (c.) create non-judgmental space. [5]
In an article titled “Is Your Bias Limiting You? How to deal with conscious and unconscious bias effectively,” the author listed three main thoughts on how to effectively deal with bias. They are as follows:
- Become aware of them
- Don’t mistake biases for facts
- Run your conclusions by other people [6]
Pertaining to Leadership, Daly, suggested five guidelines a leader could follow to overcome being bias. First, acknowledge bias, be aware of the hindsight/bloodspots. Second, training for unconscious bias and self-awareness so organizations can adjust cultural norms and accommodate diversity. Thirdly, structure employee feedback, it is essential that there is always second person feedback to eliminate bias. Fourthly, look at the data and stick to it. And finally, Get more collective intelligence. Through this process, it would be bit easier have bias in check.[7]
Conclusion/Summary
To conclude, I ask myself two-fold question, how does this relate to my leadership journey and my leadership role within the context of this program, leadership in global perspectives? So often, I like to fall back on the ‘mapping’ [8] in which by making the overlays, we could see our directions.
[1] Dr. Pragya Agarwal. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3019221.Pragya_Agarwal. Accessed March 29, 2025..
[2] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. What is Bias. BIAS Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster. Accessed March 29, 2025.
[3] Unconscious Bias as implicit bias. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intentional-insights/202007/what-is-unconscious-bias-and-how-you-can-defeat-it?msockid=3097d0c7c55d6e98039dc57dc4f56fa4. Accessed March 29, 2025.
[4] Dr. Kelly Robin. Recognizing Unconscious Bias in Workplace Leadership. https://www.kelleyconsultingfirm.com/post/recognizing-unconscious-bias-in-workplace-leadership. Accessed March 29, 2025.
[5] Agarwal, Pragya. Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias (p. 380ff). Bloomsbury Publishing, Kindle Edition.
[6] Bias. Is Your Bias Limiting You? How to deal with conscious and unconscious bias effectively. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-women/201607/is-your-bias-limiting-you. Accessed March 30, 2025.
[7] Daly, Catherine. 5 Ways to Overcome Leadership Bias. https://thoughtexchange.com/blog/overcoming-leadership-bias/. Accessed March 30, 2025.
[8] As illustrate by Dr. Jason S. Clark.
About the Author
Noel Liemam
16 responses to “Leadership & Unconscious Bias”
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Thanks for your blog, Noel. You mention mapping at the end of your blog. How do you practically use the concept of ‘mapping’ to recognise and confront your own unconscious biases in leadership, especially within culturally diverse or unfamiliar settings?
Hi, Glyn, thank you for your comment. You brought in a good point to consider. To be in leadership in my context is to consider several elements which are, my people (those I am serving) are residing away from their permanent home, have mixed cultures, have a unique status, and needed to be assimilated into their new environment: these are what I could consider as the elements/layers of the mapping, or the overlays. And my familiarities and understanding of my people and cultures, and even what I went through as I am living in the U.S. are the part that sneaks in subconsciously and affected me as being bias. Personally, I would say it is not easy for me. I needed a lot of work in this area. Thank you, Glyn,.
Thanks Noel. What are some examples you have found of ‘collective intelligence’? Or in other words, who are good people to run our potential biases through?
Hi, Ryan. thank you for your comment. I personally, the part that helped me to understand more and knowing more those and whatever I have biases against or for. The more time I spend in the U.S. the more I have learn to understand how I have been fooled by my bias. The more I relate or get to know different kind of people, the more I learn or understand how we are not so different from each other. So, I believe in increasing our cultural intelligence help in dealing with our bias, Thank you, Ryan.
Hi Noel, I always enjoy hearing about your experiences. As you’ve become more familiar with Oregonian culture over time, have you felt a greater sense of comfort and acceptance in your neighborhood as someone from Micronesia? When we talk about bias, we often think about it in the context of diverse groups, but have you ever seen it play out within a more homogeneous setting—such as among Micronesians themselves? If so, what does that look like?
Hi, Elysse, thank you for your comment. I would like to say that now, I am half- Micronesian, and half-Oregonian, regardless of being full-blooded Micronesian. With over 30yrs in Oregon, I have spent majority of my life in Oregon than in Micronesia. I believe that not only bias, but prejudice exists in homogeneous settings such as among Micronesians as well. An example, my home State is made up of a group of flat islands (atolls) and a group of bigger islands (with mountains and bigger lagoons). Since our Center is on the bigger islands, and the smaller islands are remote, our people don’t really see eye to eye. Other examples are the traditions (such like some clans are born chiefs) and economic, in which some have something and some have nothing. Thank you, Elysse.
Hi Noel, good blog, my friend. What challenges might you find if you tried to debias groups of people in your culture?
Hi, Graham, thank you for your comment. My communities and cultures are not as complexed as others; therefore, the main challenge or obstacle would be, ‘fixed mindset.’ Having a growth mindset and being non-judgmental would be helpful. Thanks again, Graham.
Noel,
Nice post, excellent use of other resources. If you are able to answer this, of the biases often found in one’s work setting, which of the ones you listed have you seen exhibited?
Thank you, Jeff, for your comment. Well, I could only speak for myself. Based on the employers that I have worked for, I would say affinity bias. Thank you, Jeff.
Noel,
I appreciate that you bring up mapmaking. How might the idea of mapmaking help us with our biases as leaders?
Thank you, Adam, for your comment. I would say that mapmaking increases our awareness of not only who we are, whom are we leading, and where we are going, but how we deal with it day in and day out. The overlays for our mapmaking are the essential elements which gives direction. With regards to our biases as leaders, the more overlays of cultural intelligence and knowing more about our people helps. Thanks again, Adam.
Hi Noel,
Thank you for your post.
If you were to give a 15-minute presentation on Agarwal’s book Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias, what topics would you select and why?
Hi, Shela, thank you for your comment. I believe I would choose Increasing Your Awareness through cultural intelligence and relationship. This is because I believe ‘awareness’ could reduce bias. Thanks again, Shela.
Hi Noel, I liked how you brought in some practical ways to deal with biases. “Sway” briefly mentions these, as you addressed, but I wanted to know more! Thank you for giving some suggestions. From the article, “Is your bias limiting you?” there was the suggestion to “run your conclusions by other people.” What are ways we can do this but also factor in other people’s biases to our conclusions?
Hi, Kari, thank you for your comment. As we mostly associated implicit bias with Kahnmen System 1, I wonder how helpful it would be to increase our awareness of people, cultures, and places, if this could set our system 1 in a less bias direction.
‘Run your conclusion by other people,’ would be just a way of saying learn more to improve how we ‘tend’ to think of others. Thank you, Kari.