Bias-Conscious Leadership: How diversity leads to better decision-making

Did you know that diversity is one of the best tools for leadership development?
It blocks bias so managers and leaders can make better decisions.

This book presents a program for mental leadership fitness where your diverse team is the gym. The workout consists of concrete tools in areas such as digital management, behavioral management, inclusive management, and emotional intelligence. It’s not a quick fix, but an ongoing process that works, just like any other exercise program. Diversity is one
of the best tools for leadership development and culture change. It can block bias – not only in the leader’s mindset but also in algorithms and data structures.

The author demonstrates what it takes for diversity to promote better arguments, and innovative thinking. This means that diversity ensures better decision making because we are constantly reminded to consider alternatives. That is essential for creating successful results. The approach also provides psychological safety in the workplace and an experience of inclusion, which is the most important common denominator for being able to create a good working environment and avoid culture backlash.

Each chapter contains at least one business case that outlines a relevant issue. It provides insight into how managers and leaders minimize unconscious bias by inviting diversity into organizations and allowing it to unfold both humanly and technologically. Building on the theory of Nobel Prize receiver Daniel Kahneman, this book uses behavioral design and
inclusion nudges to avoid classic pitfalls in decision-making patterns and create a good framework for innovative thinking.

There is no point in cramming up on bias with conscious discipline to avoid it. It is the leader’s mindset that needs to be trained, so behavior that makes diversity the effective ingredient can be practiced. New perspectives on power in relationships are also included, which have a decisive influence on the possibilities of reducing bias.

Written for leaders and managers, BIAS-CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP is relevant for everyone with management and leadership responsibilities in private and public organizations. It is also useful for supervisors, HR people, lecturers, students, and consultants.