People in (software) teams are not equal. This often leads to uncomfortable conversations during the tech leader training sessions I run, including the last one with Evelyn. It’s common for clients or participants to say, “But everyone in the team is equal.”
A thread...
The reality is, teams aren’t equal—and recognizing that is the first step toward creating more balance. If you’re thinking, “My team is equal,” or as a manager, “My teams are equal,” you might be overlooking something called dominance blindness.
Power in teams often stems from what the group values. Anthropologists call these values symbols. In many Western cultures, traits like assertiveness or extraversion are often seen as symbols of importance. Consider this: have you ever been in a meeting and stayed quiet because others seemed more experienced or confident, or spoke first about a topic? That hesitation is a form of symbolic violence—when we hold ourselves back and, in doing so, give others power they might not even be aware of.
This happens because we’re social beings, and we instinctively want to belong. We pick up on these symbols of power and adjust our behavior to fit in. Meanwhile, those who don’t second-guess themselves, who speak up without hesitation, are usually the ones already seen as powerful in that environment. For them, acting according to the group’s norms feels natural and safe, reinforcing their position. This is dominance blindness—the inability to recognize the influence they hold in a group.
These dynamics—Ranking Theory, symbolic violence, epistemic injustice—show us that complete equality in teams is unlikely. There is always a hierarchy, maybe not consciously but defintly subconsciously!
But striving for more balance is possible and should be done. If you hold the highest rank in your team, you have the chance to share that power. You can question existing symbols of power, create room for others to speak, and set an example for inclusion. By doing so, you can help build a psychological safe environment.
As my partner Vanessa—who has taught me so much about social dynamics—puts it: we should strive to be equally different.
Did you know this exact topic is covered in the book I co-authored with Evelyn van Kelle and @selketjah? Chapter 6 dives into ranking and explores the dynamics we face in teams: https://buff.ly/3CpzrAp
Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing!