Kamala Harris and Solo Status Leadership

Key Takeaways:

• Kamala Harris is a multiracial female in a field typically populated by white males.
• Research suggests that solo status can have extensive negative effects on leaders.
• But there are many things that can mitigate this, such as ensuring authority, status and legitimization.

On August 11, 2020, California senator Kamala Harris was announced to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee for the 2020 U.S. election.  Although she isn’t the first female nominee for U.S. president or vice president (interestingly, women have been running for those offices even before they were granted the right to vote by the 19^th Amendment in 1920), as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian parents, no one can deny her nomination is historic in that there has never been anyone quite like her nominated for this office before.

Obviously, anyone running for vice president will encounter hurdles and challenges.  But for someone in Harris’ unique position is likely to experience particular obstacles.  Here at Lead Read Today, I have written extensively about the challenges minority leaders face (such as stereotypes and double standards) as well as the opportunities they may be afforded (such as innovation and empowerment).  Today I want to write about solo status leadership.

Solo status leadership refers to a leader being the only one of their particular status on a team, such as a person of color leading a team of all white subordinates.  Solo status does not just apply though to minority leaders; a male leading a team of females would also experience this.  Extensive research shows that solo status can cause a leader to perform worse, be seen as a poorer leader by others and to just feel bad about themselves.

Kamala Harris will likely experience the negative effects of solo status in a number of ways.  As a multiracial black and Asian female, she definitely stands out as unlike anyone else who has ever run for vice president on a major political party ticket.  And in general, politics are generally dominated by white males, so she is in the minority in the field in general.  But the negative effects of solo status aren’t inevitable. 

There are a few things that can be done to lessen the impact.

One study found that status can help alleviate the negative effects of solo status among female leaders[1]. Specifically, they looked at female leaders of all-male teams and examined if having higher status and more authority than all the male followers lowered the women’s negative expectations of their own leadership abilities. 

Female leaders who had similar status and authority as their male followers doubted themselves as leaders — but those who had higher status and authority did not.

Although this study suggests that ensuring solo status leaders have higher status and authority than their followers can be one way to mitigate solo status negative effects, another study suggests that there may be even more needed.

Specifically, this second study examined multiple ways of reducing solo status negative effects[2].  They found that female leaders did not suffer from solo status if they:

1. had a formal leadership role
2. had expertise and training in the area
3. were legitimized by a male authority figure as credible. 

The study showed that only meeting one or two of these conditions resulted in solo status negatively affecting the leaders; all three conditions had to be met!

This study suggests that another way to mitigate solo status negative effects is for minority leaders to not just have status and authority (specifically, with an official title and expertise), as the previous study suggested, but for people in the majority to publicly endorse them.  Though this is disheartening to see it is necessary, it is a tool organizations can use to empower their minority leaders.

As stated, Kamala Harris will face a number of challenges in her pursuit of the vice presidency.  Factors such as I have shared may have an impact on her experiences. 

But in the meantime, readers of this blog can also use these findings in their own jobs. Let me ask you, dear reader:

• What are you doing to empower your minority leaders? 
• What are you doing to ensure they have status and authority and are seen as legitimate? 

Steps such as these can help to minimize any negative effects minority leaders can have due to being a solo member of their group.