Why Having a Babyface Helps Black Leaders in the Workplace [Research Breakdown]

In order to make it to the top of an organisation, the way you look matters. 

Find out why, if you come from a stigmatised group, having a baby face is useful for employees who want to make it the C Suite.

Here are some key messages from this episode:

• The reason why having a babyface helps black leaders in the workplace
• The bias that means traditional leadership advice may not be effective for minority groups
• The reason your employee resource groups need to develop specific relevant strategies if they want to create leaders and much much more

Play the episode for more.

Here are some key takeaways from this episode:

Having a “Baby Face” can benefit some leaders

 “Having a babyface can have a positive impact on your leadership aspirations… if you are a member of stigmatised group”

 The Research presents novel findings that appear to contradict the norm

 “Baby faced adults can be perceived to be incompetent or weak and research shows that it’s actually a liability for those in high positions of leadership”

 Disarming Mechanisms Only Work on Particular Groups

“This draws out an interesting point, disarming mechanisms are likely to work if you belong to a group that is considered to be a threat or intimidating.”

Here are some resources so you can go deeper: 

Professor Robert Livingston

Dr Nicholas Pearce

My Award Winning Poster

Does Beauty Really Pay?

The Teddy-Bear Effect: Does Having a Baby Face Benefit Black Chief Executive Officers?

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey: