I decided to do a little experiment with AI.

I asked it to generate an image of a CEO, a leader, and here’s what I got:

✔ A white man in a suit in an office environment.

I then asked for a female leader –

✔ I got a young, thin, white woman in a suit.

I then asked for more experienced, more diverse leader –

✔ Result: A woman—she looked more model than executive, still white. There was a team in the background for the diversity element.

No matter how many times I asked or how I phrased the prompt, the algorithm kept pulling from the same tired stereotypes, similar look for the man or woman in the picture.

It’s easy to blame AI, but the truth is—AI learns from us. It reflects the biases we feed it—biases we might not even realize we have.

The AI didn’t decide that leaders should be men, or that women in leadership should fit a certain mould. It simply reflects the synthesis of thousands of images, job descriptions, and biases that exist in the real world.

Which raises an uncomfortable question for us:

Who do we picture when we think of a leader?

Could it be that we’re unconsciously favouring a certain “type” when we hire, promote, or develop talent?

Could we be overlooking leadership potential because it doesn’t match a default image we may not even be aware we’re holding?

These are important questions to ask ourselves and have conversations about.

I don’t think it’s about checking our numbers and making sure the stats look good but rather about surfacing the conversations, asking how people feel at our workplace? What do they need to make it a more inclusive culture?

I realised with my little experiment that AI isn’t the issue.

We can take responsibility in reshaping our narratives and workplace culture.

It’s in our hands to shape expectations for the next generation.

So,

let’s flood the system with new, better, more real images and conversations so we can have true diversity and equal opportunity. Let’s have real conversations about what’s needed.

Because if the world still expects leaders to look a certain way, act a certain way, and fit into a neat, outdated mould—then we still have work to do.

What does a leader look like to you?

Here’s to expanding our vision of leadership, challenging outdated narratives, and making room for real, diverse and powerful leaders.

Comment below and tell me, what’s on

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