MIT SLOAN
Management Review


“Jackie Robinson syndrome” is the condition where, as a member of an underrepresented group, you are the first in something, the “One and Only,” and there is a perception that you must be both exceptional and perform at a higher standard than others. (This “syndrome” is named for the American superstar athlete who, in 1947, became the first Black player invited into Major League Baseball.) Many who operate with this status are ofte