'One and Onlys' | How spotting the 'anomalies' in your organisation could drive positive change

There are anomalies in every walk of life. How is it that when everyone around them was catching Covid-19, a handful of people sailed through without contracting it? How can some people live to be 100 years old while most people don’t?

While the above are just some examples that can be seen in someone’s personal life, there are anomalies in the business world, too – people who stand out from their peers. Ironically, they may be held to higher standards than their peers. Indeed, “Jackie Robinson Syndrome’ is the name given to members from underrepresented groups who are introduced as “trailblazers” and expected to perform better than their peers. (Jackie Robinson was the first Black baseball player to play in a major league, paving the way for other Black sports superstars).

As the first Black President of the USA, Barack Obama experienced “Jackie Robinson syndrome” – but it’s trailblazers like him who show people what is possible. Both Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama helped pave the way for the increasingly inclusive business (and societal) culture that is now becoming the norm.

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Writing for MIT Sloan Management Review, Ayanna Howard described these trailblazing employees as “One and Onlys.” Their uniqueness may not be to do with the colour of their skin – gender, neurodiversity, disability, age; these might all play a part, or the anomalous quality could be something else altogether. But, despite the strides that have been made in inclusivity, Howard pointed out that organisational support for such individuals may still not come naturally. “There can be bias against embracing the exceptions, even when they are exceptional,” she wrote. “But One and Onlys have the power to lead change, which organisations should embrace and provide scaffolds to amplify.”