During my last holiday I spent some time reading about cognitive biases again. Topics around decision-making and how we interpret competence.
One concept that caught my attention was the Halo effect.
The idea is simple: When someone is very good at one thing, we tend to assume they will also be good at other things. While reading about it, I realised I had once contributed to a situation where that assumption played a role.
When excellence creates a halo…
In many organisations something very predictable happens. Someone becomes recognised as an outstanding expert in a specific domain. Their knowledge is deep, their arguments convincing, their judgement reliable.
People start trusting their perspective. Gradually something else happens. The expertise begins to create a halo around the person.
If they are this good at their field, they will probably also be good at leading others. At least, that’s the assumption.
When leadership and expertise diverge
But expertise and leadership are not the same skill. Being right in a domain is different from creating an environment where others can grow in that domain.
Being able to win arguments is different from creating space for other perspectives. And being confident in your expertise does not automatically translate into helping others develop their own. Those differences are easy to overlook when someone’s expertise is very visible.
Assumptions
Looking back, I realise I also fell into another classic trap: assumptions.
I often joke about them using the old Benny Hill line: “When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.”
Leadership decisions are no exception. Sometimes the story we tell ourselves about someone’s potential is built more on assumptions than on evidence.
The uncomfortable part of leadership
Looking back, I also recognise something else. As leaders we sometimes keep believing in a path because we want it to work. We see potential. We invest time in coaching. We try to help someone grow into a role.
And sometimes that belief makes us protect someone longer than we probably should. Not because the person lacks talent. But because the role simply doesn’t match the type of talent they have.
When promotions move people away from their strengths.
Organisations often reward expertise with leadership roles. But doing so can sometimes move people away from the very thing that made them valuable in the first place.
An exceptional expert becomes an average or even a bad manager. Not because they are incapable. But because the skill set required is fundamentally different.
A leadership reflection
Looking back, the Halo effect helped me recognise a mistake I once made.
I assumed that excellence in one domain naturally translated into leadership potential. It doesn’t. Some people are brilliant experts. And sometimes the best way to respect that talent is not to move them away from it.
A question for leaders
Maybe the real leadership challenge is not recognising talent. Maybe it is recognising where that talent truly belongs. Before promoting someone, perhaps the real question should be:
Are we rewarding expertise… or are we unintentionally moving someone away from their greatest strength?
Another reflection inspired by reading about cognitive biases and how they influence leadership decisions.