Masking In The Workplace and How It Can Be Detrimental To D&i

Dr. Nika White • September 20, 2019

Masking, or covering, is the practice of people feeling as though they can’t show up fully as themselves—personally or professionally. At its simplest definition, masking is when people disguise who they are. 

Through a diversity and inclusion lens, masking causes people to cover up, conform to mainstream thinking, and shrink back portions of their identity. People end up covering what they’re really thinking and feeling as a way of coping, especially in the workplace.

Masking is detrimental to the benefits that diversity and inclusion work brings. If people aren’t bringing their full selves to work and do not feel safe to disagree or have a different perspective‚ this does harm to the individual and the organization. This occurs more often in marginalized, oppressed, and disenfranchised populations. It is a symptom of their psychological safety being compromised.

“The Deloitte University Leadership Center for Inclusion report, Uncovering Talent, reveals that 61% of all employees “cover” their identities in some way – not necessarily hiding something, but downplaying it for fear of drawing unwanted attention or making others uncomfortable.”

We have to support productive environments and mindsets where people can “unmask” and show up as their true selves. When we show up fully—we are more productive, more authentic, and business has the potential to improve.

6 Ways to Minimize Masking in the Workplace

1. Be very intentional about creating (and encouraging) a culture that finds healthy conflict to be normal.

This is vital. We have to welcome differences of opinion and open dialogue. Encouraging this level of banter produces greater problem solving, a higher level of creativity and greater innovation and—ultimately—leads to more competitive advantage.

Create a culture that doesn’t only welcome this type of conversation, but also encourages disagreement and healthy conflict. This is not something that can passively be done, but must be integrated into leadership, general communication, standards, and company culture.

See my other blogs here and here for tips in relationship to this.

2. Once you create more diversity, you have to manage diversity.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but diversity by itself doesn’t necessarily bring results. It’s the effective management of that diversity that brings results. This is why we pair it with the concepts of inclusion and equity.

One standout diversity and inclusion leader I often quote is Kenji Yoshino, the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU and former Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Kenji is frequently quoted in regards to masking from his book, Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights.

In one famous study, Kenji surveyed 3000 employees across 10 industries.

“Each organization had a stated commitment to inclusion, yet 61% of the survey participants said they had faced overt or implicit pressure to cover in some way or to downplay their differences from the mainstream. 66% of these employees said that it significantly undermined their sense of self. 50% stated that it diminished their sense of commitment. Other stats from this study:

29% altered their attire, grooming or mannerisms to make their identity less obvious
40% refrained from behavior commonly associated with a given identity
57% avoided sticking up for their identity group
18% limited contact with members of a group they belong to”

These are very interesting statistics since we’re speaking about organizations who have a specific statement dedicated to diversity and inclusion. From their vantage point, they’re putting procedures into practice and being systematic about infiltrating all aspects of the organization. Yet, we still see over 50% of people still having these experiences to feel implicit pressure to cover or mask.

This is why some people say diversity can work against you. This is only the case if diversity is not effectively managed. 

If people feel they have to mask, because their levels of uniqueness and authenticity are not being effectively managed, this results in people being less committed to organizations. It causes them to undermine their sense of self.

So what has to happen? These businesses and organizations need to create systems for learning and development. They must create systems with the goal to improve cultural competence and manage diversity for successful outcomes.

3. Give people the full liberty to disagree with both each other and leadership.

Another way to create environments where masking is minimized is to allow employees to be vocal with leadership.

This is understandably hard for people to do and takes some training, coaching, and a culture that values speaking up. It also takes coaching with those who are in senior levels of influence. Sometimes people don’t come forth because they fear the risk of retaliation. Or they fear how they may be treated after having fully shown up in a capacity that allows them to freely align with their identity.

Working with a diversity and inclusion specialist or coach can be extremely beneficial in helping leaders, teams, and employees to better foster this open communication.

4. Shout it out from the rooftops — be vocal everywhere.

Along with being vocal to leadership, I believe people should be vocal everywhere: at work, at home, to friends, throughout their daily life. We have to normalize people being their most authentic selves in society.

A simple example I like to give (and I am actively vocal about) is African American or ethnic hair. Women of color often go through long, expensive, and complicated processes to make their hair not look like the way it grows naturally out of their head!

This may sound simple or trite but it’s vital to a person’s authentic and God-given identity. If we don’t feel comfortable enough showing up as our natural selves (and we have to spend extra time and money to change it) — how can we truly be a diverse, inclusive, and equitable society? How can we foster diverse and inclusive workplaces? People should be empowered to feel natural and comfortable. 

A simple switch in an employee feeling empowered to be completely “natural” and authentically themselves can ripple into their productivity and engagement with the workplace.

5. Create a feeling of belongingness

One element that helps organizations better address the reduction of masking or covering is by placing a high emphasis on authenticity and the sense of belongingness.

Create a culture of acceptance. If you have a leader who is high in belongingness, who also has a high value of authenticity, then you usually have an environment that is very inclusive. This means individuals in environments are treated as insiders but also allowed, encouraged, and welcomed to maintain a level of authenticity in that workgroup.

What does exclusion look like? When people in an organization are not treated as insiders with unique value. When they are viewed as the “other” or “lesser than”. If the people on the “outside” can cleary view other employees or specific groups of employees as “the insiders” then there is an issue that needs to be resolved. 

What does inclusion look like? Insiders of all types are welcomed and expected to keep a high level of authenticity.

6. Mindfulness in the workplace

Lastly, “mindfulness” is a word that’s used in so many ways these days, but I believe in its importance. I talk about mindfulness a lot because the bottom line is if you can’t manage yourself, you can’t manage and lead others.

Mindfulness is important for leaders and those writing the reports on this subject. It’s important so they can be more thoughtful about situational awareness. If we are mindful, we have a greater propensity to have self-awareness to observe what’s happening and what’s not happening. We are being more intentional to try and notice where inclusion can be compromised and that’s important because it gives us the opportunity to potentially change the outcome.

Being a mindful individual in this regard means you can practice intentional inclusion consistently. The challenge is that it’s easy to approach a situation with unconscious bias — meaning we are operating from a place of “not being aware”. Lack of awareness leads to blind spots, blind spots leads to exclusion, and this can lead to people leaving an organization or having to mask to “survive” in that environment.

It’s a domino effect. But we can move in the right direction if we’re more mindful by creating cultures of positive momentum towards authenticity.

Conclusion

In my work, I always talk about becoming an Intentional Inclusionist. We have to find proactive ways to create safe spaces for people to feel their contributions are valued. And I don’t think enough organizations are doing that specifically.

We talk about culture, but how are we really connecting those conversations to psychological safety? Because that’s the big part in all of this.

What are you, your team, your leadership and your organization doing to foster environments where employees can show up authentically, and fully, as their true selves?

Let’s unmask so we can show up as ourselves. Because this is better for people and better for business.

Read more from The Human Shift on Substack, where I share long-form essays on leadership, culture, and how we work and live.

Share this Content:

When Everything Feels Important - The Hidden Cost of Carrying Too Much

By Nika White • July 6, 2026
One of the first signs that capacity is stretched isn't exhaustion. It's compression. Everything starts feeling equally important. Every email. Every request. Every conversation. Every decision. There is no hierarchy. Just urgency. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Cost of Constant Readiness , we explored how constant readiness changes perception. When the nervous system stays activated for too long, discernment becomes harder to access. The result is that everything begins competing for the same attention. A Reframe When everything feels urgent, the problem is often not workload. It's a lack of space. One Simple Practice At the beginning of your day, identify one thing that truly matters. Not three. Not five. One. Let that become your anchor. What This Looks Like In Practice A leader begins every morning reviewing a long list of tasks. By lunchtime, she feels behind. When she shifts her focus to identifying the most important outcome for the day, her decision-making improves and her stress decreases. The work doesn't disappear. The relationship to the work changes. Question to Consider What would happen if not everything deserved equal access to your attention? In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. What is taking up attention right now that may not actually deserve it?

The Difference Between Listening and Waiting - Why Conversations Break Down Even When Everyone is Talking

By Nika White • June 29, 2026
Many people think they're listening... What they're actually doing is waiting. Waiting to respond. Waiting to explain. Waiting to clarify. Waiting to prove they understand. We've all done it. The challenge is that people can feel the difference. When someone feels truly heard, their nervous system settles. When they feel managed, redirected, or rushed, something else happens. Earlier in The Human Shift, When Teams Stop Telling You Things, we explored how silence often becomes a cultural signal. Many people stop sharing because they've learned they are being heard only enough to move the conversation forward. A Reframe Listening is not gathering information. Listening is creating enough space for understanding to emerge. One Simple Practice In your next conversation, wait three seconds after someone finishes speaking before responding. Just three seconds. Notice what happens. What This Looks Like In Practice A leader receives feedback from a team member. Instead of immediately explaining her perspective, she pauses. The employee continues talking. What emerged in those few extra seconds was the actual concern. Not the polished version. The real one. Question to Consider How often are you listening to understand versus listening to respond? In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. When was the last time someone made you feel completely heard?

When Your Presence Changes the Room - Why Leadership Starts Before You Say a Word

By Nika White • June 22, 2026
Most leaders pay attention to what they're going to say. The agenda. The feedback. The decision. The update. What often gets overlooked is what people experience before any of those things happen. They notice your pace. Your energy. Your level of tension. Whether you seem rushed or grounded. Whether you're fully there or already thinking about the next meeting. Earlier in The Human Shift, Culture is What People Carry Home, we explored how culture is shaped by what people carry after interactions. Before people carry anything away, they're already responding to what they experience in your presence. A Reframe Presence isn't something you add to leadership. It is leadership. One Simple Practice Before your next meeting, pause for ten seconds before speaking. Take one slow breath. Notice your feet on the floor. Then begin. What This Looks Like In Practice A leader enters a meeting feeling rushed after back-to-back conversations. Instead of immediately jumping into the agenda, she takes a moment to settle herself. The meeting itself doesn't change dramatically. The experience does. People become less reactive. The conversation slows just enough to become more thoughtful. Question to Consider What do people experience when they enter a room with you? In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Think about your last meeting. What do you think people felt from you before you even started speaking?

The Energy Behind Your Leadership - Why how you show up matters more than how much you do

By Nika White • June 15, 2026
Leaders often focus on effort. Working harder. Doing more. Giving more. But effort is not the only variable. Energy matters. The tone you bring into a meeting. The pace of your communication. The steadiness of your presence. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Body Knows Before The Mind Does, we explored how the body communicates before words. Energy is often what people remember most. A Reframe Leadership is not only what you do. It is what people experience in your presence. One Simple Practice Before your next interaction, ask: “What energy am I bringing into this?” Then adjust—slightly. Question to Consider What do people consistently feel after interacting with you? What This Looks Like In Practice In leadership and culture work, energy is one of the most overlooked drivers of performance and trust. It shapes how work feels—and how people engage. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. If your team described your leadership in one word based on how it feels, what would they say?

The Leadership Habit of Anticipation- When thinking ahead becomes living ahead

By Nika White • June 8, 2026
A Strong leaders anticipate. They think ahead. They plan. They prepare. But anticipation can quietly become overextension. Living in the next moment instead of the current one. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Cost of Constant Readiness, we discussed readiness. Anticipation, when constant, keeps leaders slightly ahead of the present—which can disconnect them from what’s actually happening. A Reframe Preparation supports leadership. Over-anticipation distances it. One Simple Practice Bring your attention back to one present interaction today. Ask: "What is actually happening right now?” Not what could happen. Not what might happen. Just what is. Question To Consider How often are you leading from the present versus the future? What This Looks Like In Practice Leaders who reduce over-anticipation often report clearer communication and stronger relationships because they are responding to reality, not projection. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Where are you currently living ahead of the moment instead of in it?

The Subtle Drift into Disconnection - How it happens without anyone noticing

By Nika White • June 1, 2026
Disconnection rarely happens all at once. It builds slowly. A conversation you rush through. A moment you don’t fully listen. A tension you move past instead of addressing. Over time, these moments accumulate. Earlier in The Human Shift, Inclusion Isn’t Exhausting – Disconnection Is , we explored inclusion as lived experience. Disconnection is often not intentional—it is the result of repeated missed moments of connection. A Reframe Disconnection is not a single event. It is a pattern of small moments. One Simple Practice Today, in one conversation, slow down enough to fully listen—without preparing your response. Just notice. Question To Consider Where have small moments of disconnection quietly added up? What This Looks Like In Practice In culture work, repairing disconnection rarely requires large interventions. It requires consistent attention to everyday interactions. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. When was the last time you felt fully present in a conversation?

When Presence Replaces Performance - Why leadership effectiveness isn’t always about doing more

By Nika White • May 27, 2026
In high-performing environments, leaders often feel the need to demonstrate value constantly. Speaking. Solving. Contributing. But not all leadership is visible. Sometimes the most impactful presence is quiet. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Shift From Bracing to Grounding , we explored grounding as staying connected to yourself in the moment. Presence allows leaders to influence without constant action. A Reframe Leadership is not always what you do. Sometimes it is how you are. One Simple Practice In your next meeting, contribute one fewer time than you normally would. Instead, observe: What changes when you create more space? Question To Consider What would shift if you trusted your presence as much as your output? What This Looks Like In Practice Leaders who learn to use presence intentionally often find their influence increases—not decreases—while their effort becomes more sustainable. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Where might doing less actually strengthen your leadership today?

The Weight of Unspoken Expectations - What leaders carry that no one names

By Nika White • May 19, 2026
Not all expectations are stated. Some are felt. You feel them in how quickly you respond. In how prepared you need to be. In how little room there seems to be for uncertainty. These expectations shape behavior—even when no one has said them out loud. Earlier in The Human Shift, Culture is What People Carry Home, we explored how culture is what people absorb. Unspoken expectations are one of the most powerful ways culture is transmitted. A Reframe What is unspoken is often what is most influential. One Simple Practice Ask yourself: “What expectations am I operating under that no one has actually confirmed?” Then question one of them. Question to Consider What might change if you clarified one assumption you’ve been carrying? What This Looks Like In Practice In organizational work, many performance patterns are driven less by formal expectations and more by perceived ones. Naming them creates immediate relief and clarity . In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. What expectation are you currently meeting that may not actually exist?

The Tension Between Speed and Clarity - Why moving quickly can sometimes create more work later

By Nika White • May 11, 2026
Speed often feels like progress. Decisions made. Meetings closed. Momentum maintained. But speed and clarity are not the same. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Cost of Constant Readiness, we explored how readiness can create urgency where it may not actually exist. When leaders move quickly from that state, decisions can reflect pressure more than perspective. A Reframe Speed moves things forward. Clarity moves things well. One Simple Practice Before your next decision, ask: “Am I choosing speed—or am I choosing clarity?” If it’s speed, ask: “What would clarity require right now?” Question to Consider Where might slowing down actually create stronger outcomes? What This Looks Like In Practice Many organizations don’t suffer from slow decision-making—they suffer from fast decisions that require correction. Clarity reduces rework.. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. What decision today would benefit from just a little more space?

When Responsibility Becomes Identity - The moment leadership stops being a role and becomes who you are

By Nika White • May 4, 2026
High-capacity leade rs often say: “I’ll take care of it.” At first, it’s situational. Then it becomes habitual. Eventually, it becomes identity. You’re the one who handles things. The one people trust. The one who doesn’t drop anything. But identity-level responsibility is different. It doesn’t turn off. Earlier in The Human Shift, Capacity is not Infinite, we explored capacity as information. When responsibility becomes identity, capacity signals are often overridden—not because leaders don’t feel them, but because they don’t believe they can respond to them. A Reframe Responsibility is a role you hold. Not a definition you carry. One Simple Practice Today, notice one “yes” you give automatically. Pause. Then ask: “If I didn’t see this as mine by default, what would I choose?” Question To Consider Where has your sense of responsibility expanded beyond what is actually yours? What This Looks Like In Practice In leadership development work, one of the most important shifts is helping leaders separate identity from role. When that happens, both performance and sustainability improve. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. What responsibility do you carry right now that no one explicitly asked you to hold?