Uncovering Our Unconscious Biases

As a leader, you have to recognize your own unconscious biases so that you can start noticing the inequalities on your team and become a better leader.

On episode 64 of the Embracing “Only” podcast, we spoke to Shiva Roofeh about cultural intelligence in the workplace.

Shiva is a self-described organizational justice practitioner, culture creator, and learning and learning design specialist.

She shared some amazing tips for uncovering your unconscious biases to become a better leader. That’s what we’re exploring in this newsletter.

“If a leader truly wants to be able to help their team be as equitable as possible [...] it does start with yourself.” - Shiva Roofeh

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read one of the highlights of our conversation ↓

1) Approach Your Triggers with Curiosity?

To start uncovering your unconscious biases, Shiva recommends approaching triggering moments with curiosity.

“When you feel those moments of being triggered by something, allow your defenses to go down and ease into that trigger with curiosity.” - Shiva Roofeh

When you are confronted with your unconscious biases, you have a choice:

1. Reject the biases
2. Explore the biases little by little. Take the time to dive into the biases you hold.

This will not be a quick and easy process. It is lifelong work.

“What that hard work looked like for me was, once I got curious, [...] it was looking back at my entire life and seeing the ways that I was perpetuating supremacy culture, inequity, and unfairness without realizing and coming to terms with all the unintentional harm that I had done. - Shiva Roofeh

Do not let yourself be held back by the anger, frustration, and loss that will come with the process.

Once you have started the process of uncovering your biases, you can actively begin to implement changes as you lead.

“What do I need to do differently? And there's no guidebook for this. There's no checklist for this. There's nothing that tells you this is how to be a fair leader.” - Shiva Roofeh

2) Let Go of Learned Toxic Behaviors

In 2021, I went through an experience of bullying and harassment at work. And through that experience, I had to finally recognize what aspects of this behavior I am unable to tolerate.?

As I started having these conversations with myself, I started to recognize some of these behaviors in myself.?

I had behaviors like this because I was close to a kind of power that was very different from me, and that didn't look like me or talk like me, but I was emulating because I thought that was the way in which to show up.

When I had that reckoning, I made a list of people I perceived to have hurt in my early journey as a leader, and I called every one of them and apologized.?

And it was the hardest thing to do.?

I didn’t do that for a pat on the back, to check a box, or for forgiveness, I did that to let my ego die and to let go of my learned toxic behaviors.?

3) Accept That You are Both Good and Bad

This idea of learned behaviors goes both ways.

“There's a lot of these things that seep into us without us realizing we have inherited it and we're passing it down.” - Shiva Roofeh

It is so important to be an intentional leader.?

“That intentionality comes from really accepting that we are not good people, because we're both good, and we are bad. And we have inherited both the good and the bad.” - Shiva Roofeh

What happens is that we end up passing these behaviors down to others.?

“It makes me think of the seventh generation philosophy that the decisions you make today should lead to a sustainable future seven generations down the line.” - Shiva Roofeh

What are you unintentionally passing down that is harmful that you can do something about right now?

To hear the full conversation with Shiva Roofeh on the Embracing “Only” Podcast, scroll up and hit play – or click here and tune into episode 64.

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Women – particularly women of color – are constantly bombarded with societal and systemic hurdles that they face professionally with no balance in solutions.?

News, media, and coaching tend to focus on our differences and obstacles but don’t provide thought-provoking solutions to help people regain control of their lives and find direction.?

The Embracing “Only” Podcast seeks to provide a community for women to share their lived experiences and not feel alone in their journey to claim their power and purpose in the communities they seek to serve, transform, and impact.