Over the past three and a half decades, I’ve seen countless decisions shaped by the biases of leaders, especially when it comes to people. While products, processes, and pricing decisions often rely heavily on data, human decisions—like selections, promotions, and even who gets invited to critical meetings or included in important emails—can be swayed by subtle, often unrecognized biases. These biases are not limited to gender; however, women often have a more acute awareness of them due to the cultural and social frameworks around us.

Unconscious biases are those innate attitudes that subtly influence how we perceive and interact with others. They’re so ingrained that they can affect our emotional and rational responses in everyday situations, often without us realizing it.

Interestingly, these biases often form in early childhood as we begin making assumptions based on personal experiences. We absorb stereotypes from various sources—our families, educational institutions, and cultural narratives found in books, movies, and television.

The spectrum of biases is vast. Beyond the common gender bias, we encounter ageism, name bias, beauty bias, height bias, and many others. In organizations, we also see conformity bias, authority bias, affinity bias, confirmation bias, attribution bias, and more.

Human beings have a tendency to categorize others, and unfortunately, these biases become hardwired in our brains from a young age. If we’re not vigilant, they can lead to systematic thinking errors, eroding the workplace environment where everyone should feel valued.

Did you know that over two-thirds of employees link declines in performance to feelings of disrespect? When biases infiltrate a workplace, people can feel unheard, unsafe, and unaccepted, leaving them in a constant state of uncertainty. Ultimately, these biases—whether we recognize them or not—can dictate who rises, who leads, and who ultimately exits the organization.

That’s why I’ve been urging senior leaders to engage in conversations about bias. Are they aware of their own biases? Reflecting on this can be a fascinating exercise. Can they identify biases that may have slipped into their company’s systems and decision-making? Are they willing to take action? And how about you—are you aware of your own biases?

Let’s grow together by challenging these biases and fostering a more inclusive environment!

(This article first appeared on the WiP page on 28th April. I am the founder of WiP which is a cohort of like minded talented women who help each other grow in a fun filled, judgement free manner!)