It’s long been said that success isn’t just about what you know, but who you know. And indeed, research supports this: affiliations with prestigious figures can open doors and elevate perceptions of competence. But what happens once the door is open—once a person gets the job?
That’s the question we tackled in a recent study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. We wanted to understand how past associations with high-profile industry stars influence evaluations after someone begins performing—and once objective performance data becomes available.
Do Connections Still Matter After You’re Hired? Yes—In Surprising Ways
To explore this, we analyzed the careers of 179 NBA head coaches over four decades. The NBA is a high-performance, transparent environment—ideal for tracking career outcomes and performance data over time.
What we found was striking: coaches who had previously worked under legendary figures—like Phil Jackson—were more insulated from job loss when their own teams underperformed. However, these same coaches were paradoxically more likely to be fired when their teams outperformed expectations. These effects weren’t short-term either—they lasted for up to nine years after the star affiliation had ended.
To see if this effect extended beyond sports, we conducted a second study with nearly 500 professionals who evaluated hypothetical job candidates in the design industry. Participants reviewed candidates’ objective performance scores—but only one candidate was known to have trained under an “industry titan.” The results mirrored what we saw in the NBA: those tied to stars were judged more leniently when they underperformed but received less credit for success.
Why Prestige Skews Perception
So why do these skewed evaluations happen? One answer lies in balance theory—a concept from psychology that suggests people seek consistency in their beliefs. If someone is associated with a star, we tend to believe they must be talented too. When evidence contradicts that belief (e.g., poor performance), people rationalize the failure rather than update their assumptions. On the flip side, strong performance merely confirms existing expectations—and is seen as less impressive.
Take Bob Nardelli, once tapped to lead Home Depot after rising through the ranks under Jack Welch at GE. Despite driving a 35% profit increase in 2002, the company’s stock fell—and he was eventually pushed out. Nardelli later reflected, “I can understand not getting rewarded, but I don’t understand getting punished.” His downfall may have been due to many factors, but the towering expectations linked to Welch likely played a role.
The Long Shadow of Prestige
The implications are clear: ties to powerful mentors don’t just open doors—they can cast long shadows over how individuals are judged long after those relationships end. Prestige-by-association can shield people from accountability and simultaneously diminish recognition of real accomplishments.
Even though our studies included both archival data and experiments, we acknowledge limitations. The NBA is a male-dominated environment and might not reflect dynamics in more diverse workplaces. Likewise, hypothetical scenarios can’t capture all the nuances of real-world decision-making. Still, the consistency of our findings across contexts suggests this is a widespread and overlooked bias.
What Leaders and Rising Professionals Should Do Differently
Understanding how connections influence judgment is critical—for both decision-makers and those climbing the ladder.
For Leaders and Talent Managers: Focus on Performance, Not Pedigree
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Challenge assumptions. Ask yourself: Would I interpret this performance the same way if I didn’t know the person’s background?
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Use structured evaluation tools. Rely on clear, behavior-based criteria rather than intuition or resumes that shine with prestigious affiliations.
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Incorporate multiple viewpoints. Use 360-degree feedback and promotion committees to reduce individual bias and surface overlooked contributors.
For Rising Leaders: Showcase Your Individual Impact
Whether or not you’ve trained under a star, make your value explicit. Don’t rely on past associations to speak for you—and don’t assume they’ll help when it matters most. Highlight:
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Measurable results you’ve achieved
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Challenges you’ve overcome
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Initiatives you’ve led or improved
If you do have a high-profile connection, know that it may distort how others see your work. Let your outcomes speak louder than your résumé.
Connections Open Doors—But What You Do Inside Still Matters
Prestigious connections are undeniably powerful. They can offer visibility, access, and credibility. But they also come with baggage—shaping how success and failure are interpreted long after the initial impression fades.
In an age where professional value is too often judged by proximity to power, it’s worth asking: Are we rewarding performance—or just prestige?
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