Challenging Bias Across Every Industry We Serve

At TAP – The Accountability Partners, we work with leaders across industries as diverse as oil & gas, direct sales, hair care, skin care, natural health, governments, non-profits, Indigenous-owned businesses, pipelines, food & beverage, conservation, mental health, and heavy machinery.

Different industries. Different markets. Different people. Different values. Different challenges. But one challenge they all face is bias both internally and in the marketplace.

Bias shapes perception. Bias shapes opportunity. Bias shapes whether we value, dismiss, or outright ignore entire industries and the people who work within them. And when leaders carry bias unchecked, they don’t just limit others, they limit themselves.

Here’s what that looks like:

Oil & Gas

When most people hear “oil & gas,” they think of carbon emissions, climate protests, and profits at the expense of the planet. And yes, there are very real concerns about how this industry has operated historically: land preservation, sustainability, and the imbalance between shareholder return and community/environmental impact. Those conversations matter.

But here’s what’s also true: oil and gas isn’t obsolete. Instead it’s actually evolving. It provides countless byproducts that touch daily life: shoelaces, smartphones, medical equipment, fertilizers, clothing. Energy demand hasn’t disappeared, and renewables alone can’t yet meet it. The question isn’t if we need energy, but how we source it responsibly.

And here’s where bias gets tricky. Too often, we reduce the conversation to extremes; “shut it all down” vs. “full steam ahead.” The reality? We need leadership that weighs innovation, sustainability, and economic demand in balance. And we need citizens willing to think beyond their own current pain points like fuel prices or shareholder returns while considering the legacy we’re leaving to future generations.

Reflection: Do you dismiss the entire industry because of headlines, or ignore its impact because of convenience? Or can you challenge yourself to think critically about who is affected, what innovations are possible, and how today’s choices will ripple forward?

 

Direct Sales / MLM

Direct sales has been one of the most misunderstood sectors for decades. Too often, it gets lazily lumped in with pyramid schemes. Let’s be crystal clear: they are not the same thing.

· Pyramid schemes are illegal because profit comes only from recruitment, with no real product being sold.

· Legitimate direct sales, on the other hand, is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Canada alone: 1.1 million independent sales consultants (ISCs), $3.38 billion in annual product sales, $1.57 billion in personal revenue to ISCs, and $1.47 billion in taxes, totalling an $8.74 billion economic impact. That’s no joke! Learn more

Of course, nuance matters here: some ISCs misrepresent products, inflate claims, or run their business poorly. That fuels negative perceptions. But those poor practices are not the model ethical companies encourage. In fact, compliance internally is often one of their biggest departments, focusing on ensuring that ISCs do business ethically and legally. These companies build compliance frameworks, train consultants well, and focus on value through real product sales.

For many, especially women, newcomers, or those needing flexible schedules, direct sales is a lifeline. It offers leadership development, entrepreneurial skills, and community in ways traditional work often doesn’t.

Reflection: Are you unfairly labelling millions of entrepreneurs because of the actions of a few, or confusing a legal, viable model with an illegal one that’s nothing like it?

 

Hair Care

Hair care is a $90+ billion global industry. But beneath the glossy ads and salon shelves lies something far more personal: identity, culture, and dignity. Hair is often the first thing people notice, and too often, natural textures, braids, locs, or cultural hairstyles are still labeled “unprofessional.” That’s not style, that’s bias.

It’s true: some companies in this space have leaned on narrow beauty standards or marketed miracle promises that don’t hold up. And those practices have fueled distrust. But there are also brands stepping up and investing in research, creating inclusive products for all hair types, and using their platforms to challenge outdated ideas of beauty.

Hair is not vanity. It is self-expression, a connection to culture, and sometimes even a marker of safety. For men and women alike, how we look impacts confidence, credibility, and the way we’re treated in workplaces and communities. Leaders who cling to rigid definitions of “professional appearance” risk shutting out authenticity, innovation, and belonging.

Reflection: Do you catch yourself making snap judgments about someone’s professionalism or credibility because of their hairstyle? Or do you see the dignity, culture, and confidence it represents?

Skin Care

When people hear “skin care,” many think of cosmetics aisles and influencer routines. But this industry isn’t just about luxury creams or age-defying serums, it’s also about real healthcare. Acne, eczema, and psoriasis don’t just affect the surface of the skin; they impact confidence, relationships, and performance.

Of course, there are problematic corners of this industry. Some brands overhype “miracle” results, sell fear disguised as marketing, or exclude diverse skin tones from their product lines. Those practices deserve scrutiny. But they’re not the whole picture. Many companies are pushing science forward, creating inclusive products, and helping people reclaim confidence in their daily lives.

And here’s the leadership layer: appearance bias is real. Someone’s skin condition, scars, or age spots are too often treated as signals of capability or credibility, which is absurd, yet it happens every day in boardrooms, hiring processes, and customer-facing roles. Leaders have a responsibility to challenge those assumptions and create environments where people are valued for their contribution, not judged by their complexion.

Reflection: Do you dismiss skin care as “superficial,” or do you recognize the very real ways skin health shapes how people feel, how they’re treated, and how fully they can show up?

Natural Health Products

Here’s a polarizing one. Natural health products are either celebrated as the key to holistic wellness or dismissed as hocus pocus. The truth, as usual, lives in the middle.

Yes, some companies oversell benefits, and some products are pushed irresponsibly. But it’s also true that millions of people, particularly in Indigenous and immigrant communities, rely on natural health products as their first line of care. Long before pharmaceuticals existed, cultures thrived on natural remedies that carried wisdom and generational knowledge. To dismiss them outright is as biased as dismissing penicillin which happens to be one of the most transformative medical breakthroughs in history.

Western medicine and natural health are not enemies. They are two sides of a spectrum that, when balanced, create stronger outcomes for all.

Reflection: Do you throw out centuries of cultural wisdom because of a few bad claims, or can you acknowledge the value of a balanced approach?

Governments

Governments are easy targets. The jokes about inefficiency, bureaucracy, and red tape never end. And yes, there are inefficiencies, frustrations, and sometimes corruption. That’s reality.

But here’s another truth: governments shape much of what we rely on every single day like: climate policy, public infrastructure, social safety nets, digital ID systems, international diplomacy. They don’t always get it right, but dismissing them entirely oversimplifies a much bigger picture.

Too often, conversations about government get reduced to “pro” or “anti,” “left” or “right.” But leadership bias shows up when we only vote or argue based on our own personal pain points, (what affects me right now), without considering how policy impacts others, or how today’s choices ripple into future generations. Critical thinking means zooming out: asking not just, “How does this serve me?” but also, “How does this serve us?”

Reflection: Do you reduce governments to “slow and broken,” or do you challenge yourself to look beyond your own lens and consider who else is affected and what legacy today’s choices create for the future?

Conservation

Conservation can sometimes feel like an inconvenience. Protected lands, environmental regulations, emissions standards, on the surface, can look like barriers to growth or costs to business. But without them, the resources every industry relies on like oil, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry can collapse in the long run.

This is where personal bias often creeps in. We vote and argue from our own pain points: “That regulation hurts my business,” “That policy costs me more today.” But stewardship isn’t about just today. It’s about protecting tomorrow. It’s about taking responsibility for how our choices impact people we will never meet.

Great leadership looks beyond the immediate, weighing short-term profit against long-term continuity. Conservation isn’t optional, it’s essential. The question is whether we’re willing to see past our own inconvenience to recognize its role in securing the future.

Reflection: Do you treat conservation as optional because it doesn’t serve you today, or do you consider the generations who will inherit the results of our choices?

 

Indigenous-Owned Companies

Indigenous-owned companies are not token partnerships or boxes to be ticked, they are innovators at the forefront of renewable energy, technology, and cultural resurgence.

Yes, tokenism still exists: some organizations highlight Indigenous voices in brochures but not in boardrooms. But the reality is, these businesses are leading with excellence. They bring perspective rooted in stewardship, calm in conflict, and wisdom that often challenges shortsighted decision-making.

Elevating Indigenous businesses isn’t charity. It’s smart leadership. It’s learning from approaches to sustainability and community that have lasted generations. It’s opening the door to ways of thinking that corporate culture often lacks.

Reflection: Do you recognize the value Indigenous companies bring to our communities by seeing them as savvy, responsible business partners and innovative leaders, or are you still overlooking the excellence and future-focused solutions they’re driving?

Pipeline Companies

Few industries are more polarizing than pipelines. Especially in Alberta, this isn’t just policy. Here, it’s livelihoods, identity, and politics woven into the ground.

Here’s the nuance: pipelines remain the safest method of transporting energy. Without them, supply chains stall, economies suffer, and energy reliability crumbles. At the same time, environmental risks and community impacts are real and must be taken seriously.

The bias here shows up when we pick a side and stop listening. “Pipelines are evil” or “pipelines are untouchable” are both incomplete stories. Real leadership sits in the discomfort of both truths: economies need energy, and ecosystems need protection. The hard work is building bridges, not barricades.

Reflection: Are you villainizing or romanticizing pipelines without nuance, or can you acknowledge both their role and their risks with responsibility?

Mental Health & Addictions Support

For us at TAP, this isn’t abstract, it’s deeply personal. Many of us have lived alongside friends, family, or colleagues navigating depression, anxiety, addiction, relapse, or recovery. We’ve seen the toll it takes: on individuals, on loved ones, on workplaces. The stigma is heavy, the silence isolating, and the systems confusing to navigate.

Untreated mental health and addiction drain economies of billions each year in lost productivity. But more than that, they drain communities of potential and families of peace. Yes, systems can fail. Treatments don’t always fit. Access is uneven. But none of that justifies ignoring the issue or criticizing those already in the arena.

That’s why, outside of TAP’s organizational leadership work, we’re building JSHS which is an educational support space for families who are walking this road alongside loved ones. It isn’t a “program” we deliver to companies; it’s a resource we’re creating because the need is personal, real, and urgent. Families deserve tools, language, and community to navigate what is often an invisible burden.

Reflection: Do you still see mental health and addiction as a private struggle someone else must manage alone, or are you willing to recognize the ripple effects on families, workplaces, and entire communities, and respond with compassion and support?

Non-Profits Supporting LGBTQIA+

Non-profits supporting LGBTQIA+ communities don’t just provide services, they save lives. Housing, advocacy, health support, suicide prevention, safe spaces: these aren’t political luxuries, they’re survival necessities.

Yes, some non-profits wrestle with governance, funding gaps, or visibility challenges. But dismissing the entire sector because of those struggles misses the bigger truth: they’re filling gaps governments and corporations often leave wide open. These organizations step in where others step back, ensuring people aren’t erased, excluded, or left behind.

This isn’t about religion or politics, it’s about dignity. It’s about creating workplaces and communities where people can show up safely as themselves. When leaders reduce inclusion to a political stance, they miss the human, economic, and cultural benefits of equity.

Reflection: Do you recognize LGBTQIA+ non-profits as essential partners in creating healthier, safer, and more equitable communities, or are you letting bias prevent you from seeing the impact they have on real lives, workplaces, and future generations?

Food & Beverage

Food and beverage is far more than what shows up on our plates. This sector stretches from farms and fisheries to processing plants, breweries, bakeries, and family-owned restaurants. It employs millions across Canada and fuels billions in exports, innovation, and cultural identity.

And yet, many of the people who work in this industry are undervalued. Farm workers, kitchen crews, and service staff often face long hours, low wages, seasonal instability, and little recognition for the essential work they do. Add to that the challenges of food waste, fragile supply chains, and rising costs, and it’s easy to see why the industry struggles to attract and keep talent.

But here’s the truth: without food and beverage, nothing else works. This sector feeds communities, powers economies, and preserves culture. From a Michelin-star chef to the teen at their first dish-washing job, these workers deserve respect, stability, and leadership that acknowledges their importance.

Reflection: Do you reduce food and beverage workers to “low-skill jobs,” or do you see them as essential contributors whose work literally sustains life and culture? As a leader, how can you amplify their value, advocate for better conditions, and ensure their voices are not overlooked?

Hospitality

Hospitality is one of the most human industries in the world. From hotels and B&Bs to resorts, event venues, and tourism services, it creates spaces where people feel welcome, safe, and connected. It fuels travel, tourism, and cultural exchange and it also represents a massive workforce that often gets overlooked.

Housekeepers, servers, front-desk staff, and event crews are the backbone of hospitality. They carry the emotional labour of service, work irregular hours, and often face instability, burnout, and under-appreciation. And yet, they’re the ones who create the experiences we rave about… the weddings, vacations, conferences, and milestones that shape our memories.

Yes, this industry faces real challenges: labour shortages, seasonality, and the pressure to balance luxury with sustainability. But great leaders understand that hospitality is leadership: it’s about service, generosity, and creating belonging.

Reflection: Do you treat hospitality workers as “replaceable service staff,” or do you recognize them as skilled professionals who create the conditions for culture, connection, and commerce? How can you, as a leader, elevate the dignity of their work and ensure they are treated with fairness and respect?

Heavy Machinery

Heavy machinery is often written off as “blue-collar work”—manual, replaceable, behind the curve. But the reality is the opposite: this sector is being reshaped by AI, automation, and predictive technology faster than many white-collar industries.

Yes, accidents happen, and yes, outdated practices still exist. But heavy machinery is modernizing at a staggering pace. It takes skill, innovation, and courage to operate and maintain the infrastructure that every other industry relies on roads, pipelines, buildings, and energy systems.

Dismissing this work as “labour” is a blind spot. It is skilled innovation. It is the backbone of everything we call progress.

Reflection: Do you overlook this industry as manual work, or do you see the expertise and transformation it represents?

The Leadership Lens

Bias doesn’t just live in leaders. It lives in customers who stereotype, in consumers who dismiss entire industries, in teammates who make assumptions, and in hierarchies that undervalue certain roles. These biases show up in sales conversations, safety meetings, hiring decisions, and boardrooms. When they go unchallenged, they quietly drain progress, performance, and potential.

Leaders can’t afford to look away. The question isn’t if bias will show up in your business, it’s when, where, and what you’ll do about it.

At TAP, we equip and empower leaders to navigate these realities. We give them tools to spot bias in themselves and in their teams. We prepare them to respond when customers or clients carry bias into the room. We help them elevate undervalued roles inside hierarchies. And we train them to build cultures where respect isn’t conditional, it’s foundational.

We don’t just talk about trust, we show leaders how to build it and rebuild it when it breaks, using frameworks like the TAP Trust Model™. We don’t just highlight bias, we teach the ELEVATE Leadership Framework™ so leaders can see it, name it, and move through it with clarity and courage. And we don’t just encourage accountability, we invite it through tools like the TAP Conversation Path and TAP Coaching & Feedback Models that make hard conversations doable.

Because the truth is this: bias is everywhere. And leaders who ignore it, whether in themselves, their teams, or their customers, risk losing credibility, trust, and results.

So ask yourself: where is bias showing up in your ecosystem: is it your customers, your teammates, where in your organization? What would change if you had the tools to meet it head on?