Understanding Layered Privilege: Kobi Omenaka’s Insights on Leadership and Empathy

In a recent LinkedIn post, Kobi Omenaka offers a profound reflection on privilege and its impact on leadership, urging fellow business professionals to move beyond simplistic assumptions about the ease with which others navigate professional challenges. Omenaka begins by recounting his past tendency to view his team members’ hesitations as mere excuses, often advising them to “Just speak up more in meetings” or “Just be more confident.” This perspective, he reveals, stemmed from his own unexamined advantages.

The Unseen Layers of Privilege

Omenaka details how his identity as a Black man, his above-average height, able-bodiedness, and private school education created a unique set of experiences. He explains that while some doors opened for him due to these factors, others remained closed, and vice versa. His private school education, for instance, equipped him with the ability to “code-switch before I even knew what that meant.” He highlights how perceived attributes like height and athleticism can lead to assumptions of leadership and confidence, often granting unearned access to 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).”

Furthermore, Omenaka points out the often-invisible privilege of able-bodiedness. He notes that he has never had to consider accessibility, plan around ramps, or fight for basic accommodations – advantages that are easily overlooked when they are never a barrier.

Recognizing Differential Paths

The turning point for Omenaka came when he observed a colleague navigate a professional situation that he found relatively easy. This colleague, he recounts, had to prepare twice as long for the same presentation, anticipate questions he would never face, and be ready with apologies for potential minor errors that would likely go unnoticed for him. This stark contrast led Omenaka to the realization that the common advice of “Just speak up” or “Just be confident” fails to acknowledge the vastly different depths of the professional waters individuals are swimming in.

“That’s when I realised: water isn’t shallow for everyone. Just speak up. Just be confident. Just put yourself out there. That ‘just’ assumes we’re all swimming in the same depth.”

Omenaka emphasizes that both the advantages and disadvantages individuals face are real and shape their paths significantly. He uses the analogy of giraffes and rabbits to illustrate how different perspectives lead to different understandings of the same environment. The giraffe has a clear, unobstructed view, while the rabbit navigates the detailed, often challenging, undergrowth.

The Imperative for Empathetic Leadership

According to Omenaka, the failure of leadership often occurs when individuals assume everyone shares their viewpoint. True leadership, he argues, requires leaders to actively question their own perspective: “What am I not seeing from where I stand?” This self-awareness is crucial for building truly diverse teams, not for trendiness, but because different perspectives are essential for spotting varied opportunities and challenges.

“The best leaders don’t just share their advantages. They ask: ‘What am I not seeing from where I stand?'”

Omenaka concludes by advocating for leaders who create space for diverse voices and invest in individuals who may not have had the same head start. He challenges readers to consider if they have ever assumed a task was easy for someone else simply because it was easy for them, underscoring the need for greater empathy and awareness in professional settings.