Same Role, Different World: How Experience Changes Across Identity

Just because two people hold the same job title doesn’t mean they experience the same workplace.

That’s the core truth behind intersectionality, the way our overlapping identities shape how we’re seen, treated, and supported at work.

Two team members may sit side by side, wear the same uniform, and report to the same leader, but one may feel confident and heard, while the other is constantly self-monitoring, second-guessing, or navigating subtle exclusion. The role is the same, but the world they’re moving through is entirely different.

What this means for us as leaders is simple but confronting: if you assume every team member experiences work like you do, you’re almost certainly missing something.

Same Job, Different Weight

Imagine your team is doing the same walking trail. On paper, the path is identical. But some are carrying light daypacks, and others are shouldering 20-kilo packs filled with invisible weight: the need to prove themselves, to navigate micro-biases and behaviours, to code-switch between cultures, or to constantly justify their presence.

That’s what intersectionality feels like.

It’s not always visible. But it impacts energy, confidence, engagement, and over time, it determines who thrives and who doesn’t. Inclusive leadership doesn’t mean treating everyone the same. It means recognising who’s carrying more and adjusting how we lead so everyone has a fair chance to contribute and succeed.

Where It Quietly Shows Up

Intersectional barriers don’t always shout, they often manifest in subtle ways, but the impact runs deep.

• It’s who gets cut off mid-sentence, and who gets the floor every time,
• It’s whose suggestions get traction, and whose ideas suddenly sound smarter when someone else repeats them,
• It’s who’s invited into quick, back-of-the-ute conversations or the meeting after the meeting, about big decisions, and who finds out after the fact,
• It’s who can push back without fear of negative consequence or backlash, and who learns to stay quiet to stay safe.

These aren’t one-offs. They’re patterns.  And unless we start noticing them, they become our culture.

Here’s some things to look out for

• Who gets interrupted or spoken over in meetings,
• Who is asked for input, and whose ideas are passed over,
• Who gets informal stretch opportunities, and who is overlooked,
• Who feels they can challenge a decision without backlash.

These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re signals. And unless we are tuned in, those signals go unnoticed, while people quietly disengage.

Leading Through an Intersectional Lens

When we recognise this complexity take different actions. We:

• Get curious about what we can’t see, not just what’s obvious,
• Look for patterns over time, not isolated events,
• Ask “Whose experience might be different from mine?” before making decisions,
• Create space for conversations that aren’t always comfortable but are necessary.

And most importantly, we stop assuming equity exists just because fairness was intended.

From Intention to Impact

Intersectionality isn’t theory, it’s the difference between whether inclusion is felt, or just stated. It’s the reason two people in the same room can walk away with completely different stories about how it felt to be there.

As a leader, your job isn’t to have all the answers. It’s to stay aware of what you might be missing, and create systems where more voices can be heard, not in spite of their differences, but because of them.