What Are You Missing? Leadership Lessons from the Invisible Gorilla

You might have noticed more than you think: what the “invisible gorilla” teaches us about leadership and inclusion.

A recent revisit of the classic “invisible gorilla” study suggests that people may unconsciously register unexpected stimuli, even when they don’t consciously report seeing them. In the original experiment, participants focused on counting basketball passes often failed to notice a person in a gorilla suit walk across the scene, a now-famous example of inattentional blindness. However, new insights indicate that implicit awareness might still be present. Subtle physiological or behavioural indicators suggest the brain may pick up on such stimuli at a level below conscious attention.

This challenges the longstanding assumption that if something isn't reported, it wasn’t perceived at all. In reality, our brains may register more than we realise, even when we can’t name or recall it.

What This Means for Leadership

Leaders are constantly required to make sense of complex dynamics, competing priorities, and shifting interpersonal cues. This research offers a timely reminder: not seeing something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. And more importantly, just because someone hasn’t reported a problem, issue, or insight doesn’t mean it hasn’t been sensed.

This is particularly relevant when:

• A team senses tension or exclusion, but no one has named it yet.

• A leader feels something is “off,” but doesn’t have concrete data to back it up.

• A decision is made without fully considering marginalised perspectives that weren’t clearly voiced.

Inclusion and performance both depend on a leader’s ability to tune in, not just to what’s loud and obvious, but also to what’s subtle, unsaid, or easily overlooked.

Practical Strategies for Leaders in the Workplace

1. Pause and Broaden Attention
   Create intentional moments to slow down and ask yourself:

• “What might I be missing?”

• “Who’s not speaking, and why?”

• “What does my gut say, and how can I explore it further?”
  
  

2. Use Multiple Information Sources
   Don’t rely solely on verbal reports or metrics. Pay attention to:

• Body language and group dynamics

• Emotional tone in meetings

• Patterns of silence or withdrawal
  These can signal that something has been implicitly registered but not yet named.
  
  

3. Encourage Reflective Spaces
   Build feedback loops into your leadership approach through:

• Anonymous feedback opportunities

• Listening sessions or reflective practice groups

• Psychological safety practices that help surface what’s beneath the surface
  
  

4. Normalise Naming the Unseen
   Role model language that gives people permission to speak into what they’re noticing:

• “I’m picking up on something that isn’t being said, can we explore that?”

• “You don’t have to have the perfect words, just start with what you’re sensing.”
  
  

5. Invest in Observation and Emotional Intelligence Skills
   Develop your ability to observe relational dynamics and emotional undercurrents. These are not ‘soft skills’, they are critical for high performance, team wellbeing, and inclusive leadership.

This new take on the invisible gorilla reminds us that inattention doesn’t mean ignorance, it may simply mean unacknowledged awareness. Leaders who cultivate the skill to notice the unnoticed, and create space for others to do the same, are more likely to build environments where performance thrives and inclusion is real. Awareness, in leadership, isn’t just about focus, it’s about depth, curiosity, and courage.

Reference (APA 7)

Research Digest. (2024, December 9). Did you perceive the invisible gorilla after all? BPS Research Digest. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from BPS website.