Do Leaders Have Location Bias?
Throughout my corporate career, I have been involved in many senior leadership changes and subsequent reorgs.
With each change, the location of leadership power and decision making changed, i.e. wherever the new senior leader was based, most of their leadership team were located.
So, as leaders, do we have an unconscious bias for our leadership team to be in the same location?
Let’s think about this a little. If someone is in the same physical location:
- Do we create a stronger relationship with them, i.e. know, like, trust?
- Do we resonate more towards them culturally, i.e. when we are on holiday and meet someone from where we live, we instantly seem to make a connection?
- Do we find it easier to observe them as leaders, i.e. performance/behaviour?
What other factors come into play here?
In the new normal, will leadership power be more distributed as we become more experienced in leading virtually?
Love to hear your thoughts below.
Your Virtual Coach
Nick
Elite Training CEO: Offering in-person & remote interactive training, L&D programmes, business games & coaching
4 年Completely agree. Time zone is also a factor in the convenience argument. #RemoteFirst companies like Tyk use excellent processes & have created a culture which is inclusive wherever people are based
SRE Engineering Director
4 年I certainly feel it makes a huge difference having your senior leadership in the same location . I’ve been in an interesting position of having all my directs in other locations and none with me and it’s made me consciously be available to my directs and be engaged to allow my teams to get visibility with me. It’s a skill that you have to learn as a leader to be aware of the bias and then do something about it . Awareness is the first step .
Thrive doing work you LOVE | Leadership Coaching | Human Design | Kundalini Yoga | Meditation | Breathwork
4 年Ooh this is an interesting one, I do think there is a natural tendency to hire someone that is close by for ease but I do think that a good conscious leader will look for the best person for the job as opposed to the nearest person for the job. I think this new world of more remote working also creates more opportunity for diversity, particularly in more junior roles where perhaps your office is based in an affluent area and so you normally only get applications from those who can afford to live in that area or to commute in.