The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias

Chapter 1 opens with an anecdote about Perrin Chiles, a film executive who made a documentary about autism. Despite his initial lack of knowledge, Perrin adopted a growth mindset and educated himself about the condition. In contrast to a fixed mindset, which leaves no room for change, a growth mindset allows for improvement. In 2001, Perrin became involved with Project Greenlight, a filmmaking talent discovery competition. Perrin aimed to modernize the show by amplifying undiscovered voices from diverse communities. Despite his intentions, however, the show continued to highlight white straight men. Few women entered the competition. Women of color were especially underrepresented. The contest winner was a white man who made a film with an all-white cast, a male lead, and a one-dimensional female sidekick. Brittany Turner, the Black director, was the only person to question the film’s racial makeup.

Project Greenlight’s shortcomings emphasize the gap between believing and building. The organizers, including Perrin and Brittany, believed in diversity, but did not have the skills to build it. Becoming a builder requires psychological safety. To learn and improve, people must believe they can speak up, admit mistakes, ask for help, and disclose inability. Managers are in prime positions to foster psychological safety, but those of Project Greenlight did not go far enough.