In this episode, I’m calling myself out. We all do this: judge people before we actually know them. You walk into a meeting, meet someone new, and within seconds you’ve decided whether they’re capable, trustworthy, professional, or someone you want on your team. We like to call it intuition, but sometimes it’s simply our brain taking a shortcut with almost no information to go on.

I bring in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, including the Warren Harding error and our strange habit of linking physical appearances (height) with leadership ability. I also tell you about the day someone joined my team and my first reaction was, “Ew, who picked him?” The important part wasn’t my first thought—it was what came next: “What am I missing?”

This episode is an invitation to catch your judgments, question them, and give people enough space for your second thought to know more than your first one did.

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

Your First Thought Is Not a Fact

• We size people up in seconds, long before we have enough information to actually know them.
• That snap reaction gets shaped by our own history, our insecurities, and whatever mood we walked in with.
• The leadership skill isn't eliminating judgment. It's catching it and choosing what you do next.

Replace Judgment With Curiosity

• My first reaction to a new team member and how I actually experienced him later were two completely different stories.
• Instead of letting that first impression become the final word, I asked, "What am I missing?"
• Curiosity buys people the time to show you who they really are.

The Box You Put Someone In Costs Everyone

• When a leader judges fast, that opinion carries weight. It shapes how the rest of the team sees that person too.
• Someone who feels boxed in stops bringing their ideas, their energy, and their full self to the room.
• Before you make it permanent, ask yourself: “How would I want to be treated in this situation?”

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Malcolm Gladwell's Blink — his research on snap judgments and the unconscious assumptions running the show underneath our decisions.
• The Warren Harding Error — judging someone's capability by how they look instead of what they can actually do.
• The CEO Height Example — how something as simple as height quietly shapes who we assume is fit to lead.
• The "Mr. Chipper" Story — my own real time lesson that my first reaction to someone wasn't the truth.
• September Reset — my personal invitation to clear the slate after summer and take stock of the judgments you're carrying into the last months of 2026.

✨ Reflection Prompts:

• Who have you judged in about five seconds flat?
• Did a first impression quietly become a permanent verdict?
• What might you be missing?
• Where could curiosity replace judgment this week?
• Is someone on your team holding back because they feel you've already boxed them in?
• How would you want to be treated if you were the one who made a rough first impression?
• Who might deserve a second look?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

• Leaders ready to get honest about their blind spots
• Managers walking into a new team, or welcoming someone new to theirs
• High achieving women who want more curiosity and less snap judgment in how they lead
• Anyone who has made, or been on the receiving end of, a bad first impression
• Leaders who want their team to feel safe enough to show up as themselves

📩 Want to Go Deeper?

Follow Lori on LinkedIn or Instagram to continue the conversation.

• Explore Lori’s coaching, retreats, and community at loripine.com
• Consider joining Lori’s upcoming Hudson Valley retreat, October 14–16, for women ready to think differently about leadership and bring more joy into how they lead.

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