Halo Good Looking! Are You as Talented as I Think?

Have you ever heard of the “halo effect”? No, I’m not talking about the popular Xbox game where teens destroy aliens. The halo effect is more insidious and can lead us to make harmful decisions.

Let me break it down for you:

• You meet a tall, broad-shouldered man, your new boss, and instantly assume he’s a great leader.
• You’re interviewing a former college athlete who set records at your alma mater and think her athletic prowess will automatically translate into business success.
• You meet someone with a genius-level IQ and immediately believe he’d be a fantastic asset to your organization.

Do you get the picture? The halo effect leads us to make all kinds of assumptions about people based on a few attributes that may have no bearing on the skills, abilities, or talents needed for success in the current role.

The Height of Leadership

Tall men are often seen as better leaders, which is one reason they usually win political elections. Sure, we can think of exceptions like Napoleon, but even then, we attribute their success to something like “the little man syndrome.” Couldn’t they have simply had the right skills to lead?

The Beauty Bias

Good-looking people tend to get elected more, hired more, make more money, and receive lighter sentences when they commit crimes. Like much of our thinking, we’re unaware of how our biases affect our decision-making. After all, no one would admit to voting for someone or paying them more money because of their looks. But the statistics tell another story.

A Biblical Tale

In the Bible, the Israelites clamored for a king and chose Saul because he looked the part, not because he was the best candidate. In 1 Samuel 9:2, it says, “He (Kish) had a son named Saul, a choice and handsome man. There was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.” Saul ended up being a poor king and was replaced by David, someone who didn’t look the part but was the greatest Israelite king.

Athletic Assumptions

You might think about all the athletes who’ve done well in careers after their competitive days are over. There are many examples, but that’s partly because we seldom hear about the failures or those who only do as well as the average person. When we do hear about the failures, we just assume they were exceptions, and we would never be so foolish.

Intelligence Misconceptions

It’s often assumed the smartest people, those with the best grades and highest IQs, will do the best in life. However, in recent decades, emotional intelligence (EQ) has challenged this notion. Studies show those with higher EQs do better than those with high IQs. Still, old habits and legends die hard.

Question Your Assumptions

Certainly, tall people can be good leaders, athletes can take what they’ve learned through competition to succeed in business, and sometimes people with high IQs turn out to be wildly successful. However, the point of this post is to alert you to how many times irrelevant factors play a big role in our decision-making process without us being aware.

My advice? Question your assumptions. Perhaps you’ll find your initial impression was correct, but you might also realize you’re being swayed by factors that have nothing to do with what you’re really trying to assess.

Join the Conversation

Have you noticed the halo effect in your own decisions? How do you guard against it? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Edited by ChatGPT

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at?Influence PEOPLE?and a faculty member at the?Cialdini Institute. An author, TEDx presenter, international speaker, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained and endorsed by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book,?Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by Book Authority.?Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents?was an Amazon new release bestseller.?The Influencer, is a business parable designed to teach you how to use influence in everyday situations.

Brian’s?LinkedIn courses?on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by over 725,000 people around the world and his?TEDx Talk?on pre-suasion has more than a million views!