Much of what we perceive in reality is dramatically determined by stereotypes that lead us to believe in widely accepted concepts about a person or a group, about a theory, a tradition, or practically anything, and that is usually an oversimplification, and that is not always accurate. In other words, stereotypes help us to see certain aspects and ignore others, and what is clear to one person is totally opaque to others. Stereotypes are filters that we add to our vision, and the problem is that when we have many layers to distill information, we can become obsessed and fall into a stereotyped blindness that prevents us from seeing opportunities, generating strengths, or making us build on our weaknesses and precipitates us into unnecessary risks. Stereotypes separate, tear, disunite.

It happens more often than we think. In fact, today there are many leadership styles based on stereotypes that have become solid walls that prevent communication, hinder teamwork, and contribute to the growth of the silo effect, which is one of the most serious problems faced in business and corporate life today. A stereotypical view is a poor view, and we can detect it when we are not able to objectively interpret the information and we want to twist it to fit our canons. It seems that those who exercise these leaderships of disunity have been successful, but they generate many problems in the long term.

The blindness caused by stereotypes is very dangerous. It occurs when we raise the finger of judgment to point to realities that may not be, with the certainty of being possessors of the truth, when we know that we have to take charge of the uncertainty and risk that any position has. To the sound of divide and conquer, they advance, or so they think. It is a behavior that reduces reality to parameters so precarious that they are weak. For example, women don't understand numbers, old people don't know about technology, there's a crystal generation that can't stand anything, and there's a concrete generation that doesn't understand anyone. There are worse: racism, misogyny, abuse, among others.

When you are in a leadership position, the best thing to do is to say goodbye to stereotypes because of the great risks they carry with them and the null advantages they have. According to Norma Carr-Ruffino, a professor at San Francisco State University, there are three axes that can help us say goodbye to stereotypes:

  1. Power and empowerment: the leadership of charisma over imposition, with well-placed limits to give structure to the organization. Allow people to work freely and happily following up to achieve the objectives set.

  2. Participation and equity: leaders who understand the importance of communicating effectively, sharing information, and treating people with dignity. It is very different to treat an employee than the way you interact with an employee.

  3. Teamwork and involvement: the leader who invites participation, who lets act and who helps in the co-creation of results is the one who, instead of competing with his workers, invites his collaborators to cross the finish line at the same time.

Of course, when someone has a blind spot that stereotypes give them, it's not that you don't want to see, it's that you can't see it. The way to shed light on that dark space is not easy; we always cling to our ways of interpreting reality because that gives us security.

We realize that stereotyping harms us when:

  • Instead of bringing us closer to the goal, it takes it further away. In this case, the stereotype is old; it lost validity because it ceased to be effective.

  • Instead of helping us grow, it dwarfs us. It is the situation in which credibility begins to be lost, people no longer trust our judgment because its applicability is no longer generating improvements or innovation.

  • Instead of expanding our borders, it limits us. It is when crises become turbulence and we have no answers, so solutions fail and problems grow.

By clinging to our stereotypes, we begin to see our environment wither. We run the risk that people with a broader vision will start to move faster and that their solutions will be more accepted and taken into account than ours. Likewise, the problems that are obvious to others, we do not find a way to identify them, and the team's steps begin to be more hesitant, and the approaches become less accurate.

How can we get out of the blindness caused by stereotypes? Paying attention. It seems obvious, but in a world so distracted and far from the here and now, it is not so obvious. We are attentive to the signs that are shouting at us that this is not the way we will achieve it. These are three words that are powerful and have glorious effects: Listen, ask, and learn.

It is about getting used to the idea of being learners, of having a learning attitude. Hanuman, the lord of the monkeys, is one of the few gods of Hinduism who is worshipped in all castes and sects. He is admired for his strength, his erudition, his wisdom, and his humility. It symbolizes devotion to the sacred, incorruptibility, and righteousness. Hanuman is the eternal apprentice who takes long steps to follow his master, Surya, the sun. He listens to him, asks him, and learns.

Saying goodbye to stereotypes means taking a step forward, having that entrepreneurial spirit that takes us forward; it is about removing the shells that filter our reality and make it heavier when it should be easy and light. It is about paying attention to complexity to create a better future. In the end, whether we are hired in a large corporation or we have our own business, that is what we work for: to find solutions and not to pose problems or generate excuses. Saying goodbye to our stereotypes leads us to take the helm of our responsibilities and make the right decisions.