Unmasking Bias: Breaking Barriers and Unlocking Potential

At 22, I walked into my first job interview in Switzerland, full of hope and determination. Then came the question that stopped me in my tracks:

"Are you afraid of failing because you are a woman or because you are a foreigner?"

Up until that moment, it had never crossed my mind that either my gender or my nationality could affect my career. Little did I know that I would have to prove—not just to others, but often to myself—that I could thrive in finance and leadership roles traditionally dominated by men.

Despite the question, I got the job and became the first woman to hold a finance role at the company. While it was a personal milestone, it also highlighted the pervasive biases I would encounter, and the resilience required to navigate them. That experience planted the seed for a lifelong journey of understanding and dismantling biases—starting with my own.

Understanding Bias

Bias is everywhere. It shapes our perceptions, judgments, and actions. You have biases; I have biases. My employees and even my husband have biases. These are not inherently malicious; they’re a natural product of our cultures, experiences, and upbringings. But they can distort how we view the world, creating assumptions that go unchallenged and turning into barriers that limit connection, collaboration, and trust.

Bias, as defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary, is “supporting or opposing a particular person or thing unfairly because of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment.” These biases can be overt—such as gender or racial bias—or subtle, like unconscious affinity or attribution biases. They can even influence technology, as artificial intelligence systems inherit the prejudices of the humans who design them.

The Impact of Bias in Today’s Complex World

My early experience taught me that biases, whether subtle or blatant, are powerful enough to shape careers and limit opportunities. In today’s increasingly complex and interconnected world, these biases are not just personal obstacles—they can ripple outward to stifle innovation, collaboration, and trust on a global scale.

Now more than ever, it’s critical to challenge biases—not only to dismantle the barriers they create but also to ensure we give ourselves and others the opportunity to fully develop their potential. As leaders, we carry the responsibility to create environments where people feel empowered to contribute, grow, and thrive. The complexity of modern challenges demands diverse perspectives and inclusive cultures where every voice is valued. By fostering openness, we unlock the creativity, resilience, and innovation needed to navigate our evolving world.

How to Start Dismantling Bias: Three Actionable Steps

1. Be Self-Aware

Awareness is the foundation for change. A useful tool for uncovering your biases is Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measures implicit attitudes on topics like weight, race, sexuality, religion, age, gender-career, and more. This tool challenges you to confront unconscious assumptions and beliefs that may influence your actions. The insights you gain might be uncomfortable, but they’re essential for growth.

2. Understand Your Blind Spots

Daniel Kahneman aptly reminds us in Thinking, Fast and Slow, “We can be blind to the obvious, and we are also blind to our blindness.” Recognizing that we all have blind spots is critical. Self-reflection requires vulnerability, but it’s necessary to uncover how bias shapes our behavior. Taking ownership of your biases and committing to self-improvement is the first step to overcoming them.

3. Stay Open and Curious

The antidote to bias is curiosity. Be open to feedback and create environments where people feel safe to express concerns. Active listening, asking thought-provoking questions, and fostering empathy are powerful tools for dismantling biases. Trust and inclusivity grow when people feel heard and valued.

Moving Forward

Completely eliminating bias may not be possible, but recognizing it and taking conscious action is within our power. By challenging assumptions—our own and those of others—we open the door to greater inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration.

Particularly in today’s world, where complexity and change demand flexibility, creativity, and resilience, giving yourself and others the opportunity to develop fully is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Leaders have a profound responsibility to set the tone and create the conditions for others to succeed. When we remove the barriers of bias, we create space for ourselves and those around us to reach their true potential.

My journey of breaking barriers as the first woman in a finance leadership role taught me that bias is not just an external obstacle—it’s also an internal one. By confronting it head-on, we can unlock our true potential and pave the way for others to do the same.

Your bias discovery journey won’t be easy, but it will be transformative. Embrace it, challenge yourself, and grow.

Enjoy the process—and the progress.

Anna Maria Casas