Feeling Disliked at Work? Why Staying on the Defensive Holds You Back
For Black professionals in the diaspora, staying constantly defensive against real workplace bias can erode trust and career momentum. Drawing on Senegalese values and leadership research, the article urges treating others’ hostility as their distortion, not a daily verdict, so leaders can protect themselves without living on guard.
Many of us in the diaspora carry two things into every workplace. The first is the values we were raised with. The second is the memory of every time someone who looked like us was pushed aside. That memory keeps us alert, and sometimes it keeps us safe. But it can also harden into a permanent defensive stance that quietly works against us.
This article looks at that hidden cost. It is written for Black professionals, for immigrants and the children of immigrants, and for anyone who has walked into a meeting already braced for a fight. It honours the real reasons we raise our guard. Then it offers a different approach, grounded in leadership research and in four Senegalese values — jom, kersa, mun, and teranga — that have helped generations keep their dignity under pressure.
Consider a senior leader we'll call Moussa. Born in Dakar, he came to Canada in his twenties with a degree, an accent, and a family back home that saw his success as their own. Two decades later, he holds an executive role he fought hard to win. He's sharp, well prepared, and respected by his team. He is also exhausted.
How can Black professionals in the diaspora protect themselves from real workplace bias without letting defensiveness erode the trust and leadership presence they need—and what African values, like Senegalese communal dignity, help you treat others’ hostility as their distortion rather than your daily verdict?