No one wants to think they got to the top through an unfair advantage. You want to feel that you’ve earned it — that your hard work and carefully honed skills have paid off.
Do You Have “Advantage Blindness”?
Recognizing privilege can feel uncomfortable for many leaders. Because of this discomfort, it’s not uncommon for them to react with advantage blindness: denying the existence of an unlevel playing field, focusing on their own disadvantages, or even claiming that some groups haven’t advanced because of innate differences. But positive and constructive reactions are possible. Some leaders choose to own up to personal prejudice and bias — and then do something about it. These leaders learn to empathize with people who are different from them, and they put their personal advantage to collective good use. Recognizing their own advantage blindness can help leaders to reduce the impact of bias throughout their organizations and create a more level playing field for everyone.