What Is Your Unconscious Personality Bias?

Which best describes the type of people you just can’t stand.

• Weak, lacking a backbone
• Robotic and rigid
• Immature and childish
• Lazy and slow
• Preachy and righteous
• Ruthless and self-centered

How did you come to this conclusion? How does it affect the way you treat them?

What Are You Missing?

If you label certain people as weak and lacking a backbone, you might struggle to appreciate their need to share feelings and nurture people. 

If you label certain people as robotic and rigid, you might struggle to appreciate their desire to gather more information and make logical sense of everything.

If you label certain people as immature and childish, you might struggle to appreciate their creativity and spontaneity.

If you label certain people as lazy and slow, you might struggle to appreciate their introspective style and desire for space to reflect.

If you label certain people as preachy and righteous, you might struggle to appreciate their need to follow their conscience and share opinions. 

If you label certain people as ruthless and self-centered, you might struggle to appreciate their charisma, and their direct, “go for it” style. 

Becoming a More Personality Inclusive Leader

Here are a few tips.

• Using the list above, recognize and name your biases.
• Explore any past experiences or associations you have with that “kind of person” to see if you are carrying unnecessary baggage. Learn more about transference.
• Consider that you have all of these “types” in you as well, although they might not be as prominent.
• Look for what you might be missing, the positives in that person.
• Explore how these positive strengths can add value at work, home, or in your community.
• Get curious with that person, learn all you can about what makes them tick, and how you can help them contribute in positive ways.
• Develop your skills to motivate and build trust with different personality types.

Become a better leader through personality inclusion. This means confronting your own bias, appreciating their positive strengths, and adapting the way you lead so that all types can contribute and succeed.

Copyright Next Element Consulting, LLC 2021