Leaders, Here’s How You Can Learn About Your Biases

Read on Culture Plus Blog

As a leader, your influence shapes team culture, access to opportunities, and long-term outcomes. Yet even with the best intentions, decisions can be affected by unconscious patterns—formed by experience, upbringing, or preference. That isn’t a personal flaw; it’s part of being human.

The real risk lies not in having bias, but in failing to examine it.

Understanding your own patterns and how they affect others is one of the most practical and powerful things you can do to lead with fairness and impact. This guide offers concrete steps—and the right questions—to help you identify where your thinking or actions may need a closer look.

1. Reflect on Patterns in Your Own Behaviour and Decisions

Start by examining how your leadership plays out day-to-day. Bias often shows itself in the relationships we nurture, who we listen to, and how we allocate time and opportunities.

Ask yourself:

• Who do I consistently trust with high-profile tasks or responsibility?

• Whose opinions do I instinctively agree with—and whose do I tend to challenge?

• Do I respond differently to the same behaviour depending on who it comes from?

• Who have I mentored or sponsored—and who might I be overlooking?

• Is my feedback equally detailed and constructive across the team?

It can be helpful to look back at recent performance reviews, meeting invites, or hiring decisions. Are certain names appearing more often than others? Are there patterns around gender, background, communication style, or personality?

2. Pay Attention to Everyday Interactions

Leadership bias isn’t always about big strategic decisions—it shows up in the little things:

• Who do you greet warmly each day?

• Who do you share informal conversations or social moments with?

• Who receives a second chance, and who doesn’t?

These micro-behaviours can send strong signals to your team, often unintentionally reinforcing a sense of inclusion—or exclusion.

3. Ask Thoughtful Questions to Understand Your Team’s Experience

The most insightful feedback on your leadership often comes from those around you. But instead of asking vague questions like “Do you feel included?”, ask targeted, open-ended questions that invite deeper reflection.

Questions about inclusion and fairness:

• “Do you feel your contributions are genuinely valued within the team?”

• “Have there been moments when you felt overlooked, dismissed, or not taken seriously?”

• “Is there anything about how we make decisions or run meetings that could be more inclusive?”

• “Are there times you’ve held back from sharing an idea or concern? What led to that?”

• “How do you think I show—consciously or not—trust in different team members?”

Questions about support and development:

• “What kind of support helps you perform at your best?”

• “Do you feel you’re getting the development opportunities you need to grow?”

• “Have I made any assumptions about your goals or interests that might not align with your own?”

• “Are there strengths you bring that I might be overlooking?”

• “Are there opportunities you’d like to explore that you haven’t yet been offered?”

Questions about ambition and growth:

• “Where would you like to see yourself progressing over the next year or two?”

• “What do you need from me to help move in that direction?”

• “Have you ever felt others were given greater visibility or opportunity—if so, how?”

• “Do you feel your career path here is as supported as others’?”

Questions about team culture and psychological safety:

• “Do you feel safe making mistakes or expressing disagreement in this environment?”

• “What kind of feedback helps you feel encouraged and motivated?”

• “Is there anything I do—or don’t do—that makes it harder for people to bring their whole selves to work?”

• “What’s one thing we could do differently to make this team feel more inclusive or supportive?”

These questions can be introduced during one-to-ones, team reflections, development conversations, or anonymous feedback processes. What matters is consistency—and a genuine openness to hear the answers.

4. Welcome and Normalise Constructive Feedback

People may hesitate to give honest feedback—especially to someone in a position of power. That’s why you need to actively invite it and model what it looks like to listen without defensiveness.

You might say:

• “I’m trying to become more aware of the assumptions I may be making—please call it out if you notice anything.”

• “If you ever feel I’ve missed something important or handled something unfairly, I hope you’ll tell me.”

• “I’m learning too—and feedback helps me lead better.”

And when someone does speak up—especially if it’s uncomfortable—thank them. Reflect, act where appropriate, and follow up. This builds trust and shows you mean what you say.

5. Translate Awareness into Everyday Action

Insight is just the first step. To be meaningful, it needs to show up in your behaviour, decisions and systems.

Try:

• Tracking decision-making: Who gets promoted, developed, trusted?

• Sharing opportunity: Rotate visibility, speaking roles, or leadership moments.

• Expanding your circle: Seek out input from people who think differently to you.

• Setting goals: Include inclusion, fairness, or access as part of your performance goals.

• Being transparent: Let your team know what you’re working on and what changes they can expect.

You can also use structured feedback tools—such as pulse surveys or team reviews—to ensure you’re staying on course.

Final Thought: Bias Is a Signal, Not a Failing

Everyone has bias. The most effective leaders aren’t those who claim to be perfectly objective—they’re the ones who stay curious, ask questions, and act on what they learn.

When you model this kind of self-awareness and accountability, it gives others permission to do the same. You create a culture where people feel seen, heard, and supported—and that’s where great performance and belonging can thrive.

Ask yourself regularly: What might I not be seeing yet? Then listen carefully to the answer. That’s where real leadership growth begins.

Related Reading on Inclusive Leadership:

Six Simple Everyday Actions for a Welcoming, Fair and Inclusive Workplace

Inclusive leadership in a hybrid workplace

Inclusive Leadership Traits

Inclusive Leadership Strategies: A Practical Guide for Managing Diverse Teams

Embedding Inclusive Leadership