"Have you ever opened a jar of Crisco and proceeded to slather it all over your body? I have, in the summer of 1992. I was just exiting sixth grade, and my friend was over for an afternoon of suntanning. When I reached for the brown bottle of suntan lotion, my friend stopped me, "Let's go look for your mom's Crisco." "Crisco???" I said. "Yes, it's how my older sister gets so tan.""
"Psychologists call this authority bias, which means we are more influenced by the opinions and judgments of perceived authority figures. This can lead us to accept information or follow instructions without critically evaluating the content.In middle school, this meant that I put high schoolers on the pedestal of perfection. But sadly, we never really outgrow this. It reared its ugly head again when I found myself in corporate America, sitting in a windowless gray conference room, in one of those all-day meetings."
"Have you ever put someone on a pedestal, because they had a higher title, more experience, or even more charisma than you? Did you think that they knew best and therefore, your ideas, questions, or insights didn't matter? Or, there was no room for your expertise? I did, for years. And it held me back from being a more confident and impactful leader."
A childhood memory of using Crisco for suntanning illustrates how admiration for perceived authority can override critical judgment. Authority bias makes people more influenced by opinions and judgments of perceived authority figures, often leading to uncritical acceptance of information or instructions. The tendency to place others on a pedestal begins early and frequently persists into adulthood. In professional settings, higher-paid or more charismatic voices can dominate conversations and intimidate others into silence. The pedestal problem describes placing people above oneself because of title, experience, or charisma, which suppresses individual ideas and weakens leadership confidence.
Read at Fast Company
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