Uncovering Bias: How to Identify and Mitigate Systemic Issues
Episode 268: In this episode of the Leadership Without Losing Your Soul Podcast, David Dye sits down with Binna Kandola to explore the impact of bias on our thinking and decision-making. Bias can lead to snap judgments and stereotypes. Unconscious bias is even trickier because it’s the bias you’re not even aware of. In the workplace, this can show up in all sorts of ways—like favoritism, self-serving decisions, or even age bias.
So, what can you do about it? Recognizing and addressing unconscious bias is key to building a more inclusive, human-centered workplace. Start by pausing and reflecting before you make judgments. Make it a habit to seek out diverse perspectives and be open to feedback from others. While it’s tough to completely eliminate bias, raising your awareness and actively working to minimize its effects can lead to more inclusive and effective leadership.
Uncovering Bias: The Journey Begins00:00 – The Cognitive Tendency of Bias
You know, bias is a cognitive tendency, a way of thinking that can lead you to snap judgments. Ever meet someone and immediately think, “I’d never give this person a job,” before they’ve even said a word? The first step to uncovering bias is to pause and give people a chance, moving beyond those initial, often unfair, impressions.
00:18 – Welcome to Leadership Without Losing Your Soul
David Dye introduces the podcast, emphasizing its mission: to provide practical leadership tools that help you achieve transformational results without sacrificing your humanity.
01:06 – Meet Our Guest, Binna Kandola
David welcomes Binna Kandola, a business psychologist and expert in uncovering bias in the workplace. Binna’s impressive background includes co-founding a global consultancy, writing bestselling books, and receiving an OBE for services to diversity.
04:20 – Early Leadership Lessons
Binna shares a personal story about his first experience as a leader. It was a tough lesson in leadership and bias, as he had to drop a close friend from the cricket team because they weren’t good enough. This early experience highlighted the importance of making fair, unbiased decisions.
07:24 – What Is Unconscious Bias?
Binna explains unconscious bias as a misleading cognitive tendency that affects everyone. He describes it as a “bug in the system” that can lead you to make decisions that feel right but are actually biased.
10:20 – Self-Serving Bias
One of the most common biases is self-serving or egocentric bias, where you tend to see yourself as better than others. For instance, when 200 leaders at a global bank were asked to rate themselves on inclusive leadership, 100% rated themselves above average. Uncovering this bias is crucial for honest self-assessment.
14:49 – Age Bias
Binna highlights that age bias is widespread, with both younger and older people favoring youth. Interestingly, even as people age, they often internalize negative stereotypes about older adults, which can influence their behavior and decisions.
17:53 – Strategies to Mitigate Bias
To effectively lead, you need to start by uncovering bias in your own thinking. Binna suggests raising your awareness and taking simple actions, like pausing to reflect before making judgments. Moving from a snap decision to a more thoughtful one can help you make fairer, more inclusive choices.
21:06 – Becoming Conscious of Unconscious Bias
Binna emphasizes the importance of awareness in uncovering bias. He recommends being open to learning about different groups and listening to feedback, which can help you become more conscious of biases you didn’t even know you had.
24:34 – The Cost of Bias and the Benefits of Inclusion
The conversation shifts to the tangible impacts of bias in the workplace. Binna explains that bias, especially exclusion, can cause real emotional pain and undermine team performance. On the flip side, diversity combined with inclusion leads to higher innovation and productivity, making it a win-win for everyone.
41:12 – Is Bias-Free Leadership Possible?
David asks Binna if it’s possible to achieve bias-free leadership. Binna acknowledges that while you can work to reduce specific biases, there will always be new ones to uncover. The key is to stay open to feedback and keep learning.
42:46 – Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
Binna advises that becoming comfortable with the discomfort of uncovering bias is essential. Reflect on feedback and use it as an opportunity to grow. Over time, the gap between receiving critical feedback and responding with humility can shorten, leading to better leadership.
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