The Layered Nature of Privilege: Kobi Omenaka’s Insights on Leadership Blind Spots

In a recent LinkedIn post, Kobi Omenaka explores the complex and often invisible layers of privilege, urging leaders to recognize the differing experiences within their teams. Omenaka begins by recounting his past tendency to view his team members’ hesitations as mere excuses, offering common advice like “Just speak up more in meetings” or “Just be more confident.” However, a profound realization shifted his perspective.

Understanding Unseen Advantages and Disadvantages

Omenaka, reflecting on his own identity as a Black man, above average height, able-bodied, and a private school alumnus, articulates how certain doors opened for him while remaining shut for others, and vice-versa. He highlights how his private school education equipped him with the ability to “code-switch” long before he understood the term. Furthermore, his physical attributes and background lead to assumptions of leadership and confidence, often sparing him scrutiny about his belonging in certain spaces.

“Being tall-ish and athletic means people assume leadership. They assume confidence. They don’t question if I belong in certain spaces (until they do).”

The author also points out the unacknowledged privilege of being able-bodied, noting the absence of the daily considerations required for accessibility that many face. This realization was cemented when he observed a colleague’s preparation for a presentation, which involved significantly more effort and anticipation of potential challenges than his own experience.

As Omenaka observes:

“She prepared twice as long for the same presentation. Rehearsed responses to questions I’d never get asked. Already prepared apologies for mistakes that no one would notice.”

This stark contrast led to his central metaphor: “water isn’t shallow for everyone.” He argues that the common advice to “just” do something assumes a level playing field that rarely exists.

Leadership’s Blind Spots and the Power of Diverse Perspectives

Omenaka emphasizes that privilege is not a simple binary but is “layered.” He illustrates this by noting that while he can navigate a gym with ease, he might feel scrutinized in a fancy restaurant. Similarly, his ability to navigate physical spaces without barriers contrasts with potential suspicion in certain neighborhoods. These varying experiences, he explains, shape individual paths in profound ways.

He posits that the fundamental flaw in leadership often stems from a failure to recognize these differing perspectives. Using the analogy of giraffes and rabbits describing a forest, Omenaka explains how different vantage points lead to vastly different understandings of the environment. The giraffe has a clear, unobstructed view, while the rabbit perceives the undergrowth and obstacles.

“Assuming everyone sees what you see is where leadership fails.”

According to Omenaka, effective leaders move beyond simply acknowledging their own advantages. They actively seek to understand what they might be missing from their unique standpoint.

Building Inclusive Teams for Enhanced Opportunity

This leads Omenaka to advocate for building diverse teams, not as a mere trend, but as a strategic necessity. He argues that different perspectives are crucial for spotting a wider range of opportunities and challenges. Great leaders, in his view, intentionally create space for voices that differ from their own and invest in individuals who may not have had the same starting advantages.

Omenaka concludes by posing a reflective question to his audience: “Ever assumed something was easy for someone else because it was easy for you?” This prompts readers to examine their own potential blind spots regarding the experiences of others.

“And the wild part is that some of my ease is invisible to me. Just like some of my struggle is invisible to others.”

Kobi Omenaka’s post serves as a powerful reminder for leaders to cultivate empathy and actively seek out and value perspectives shaped by different lived experiences.