The Pygmalion Effect in Leadership and the Element That Changes Everything
- Brainz Magazine
- May 27
- 4 min read
Adriana Barbara is a Mind-specialized Coach who is focused on helping CEO's and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root.
To better understand the topic of this article, I invite you to do a short exercise. Go back to your childhood, when you were in school. Think of a teacher who used to say something about you that had a lasting impact. Maybe you remember hearing: “You’re brilliant,” “You’re going to go far,” or perhaps something less positive: “You’re always causing trouble,” “Why are you so slow?”
Try to make the memory vivid, bring back the sensations, the emotions, even the environment, who was present, their facial expression, and so on. How did it make you feel? How did those repeated comments influence you? Perhaps if a teacher often said, “You’re great at math,” you developed a liking for the subject, put in more effort, and found it easier. On the other hand, if they told you, “You’re too restless,” maybe you started acting more anxious or mischievous.
Whether you notice these subtle changes or not, one thing is certain: what a figure of authority consistently says and thinks about us directly impacts our self-concept. It shapes how we feel and how we behave, and in many cases, it even determines our habitual behavior. This phenomenon is known as the Pygmalion Effect. In this article, I’ll explain it in more detail and show you how you can use it to lead your team in a more positive and impactful way. Let’s dive in.
What is the Pygmalion effect?
The Pygmalion Effect is a psychological phenomenon that proves how an individual's expectations about another can directly influence their performance. This effect was first discovered in the 1960s when psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson experimented in an elementary school. They told teachers that certain students had exceptionally high intellectual potential (even though they had been randomly selected).
Remarkably, by the end of the school year, those students showed significant improvements in academic performance. The reason? The teachers interacted with them based on higher expectations, showing greater patience and attention, fostering their development.
In other words, when a person in a position of authority believes in someone’s potential and acts accordingly, that person tends to perform better. The reverse is also true: if someone important to you doubts your abilities or labels you negatively, over time, that belief can influence your behavior and you may end up fulfilling that expectation.
How the Pygmalion effect manifests in leadership
Whether in the workplace or any other setting with a figure of authority, the leader plays the same role as a teacher in the classroom. Their expectations, beliefs, and perceptions carry great weight in shaping their team’s behavior, even if they don’t express them directly. These expectations are communicated through tone of voice, body language, the nature of the tasks assigned, and the degree of trust placed in each individual.
For example:
If you believe someone on your team is brilliant and reliable, you’ll likely treat them better, assign them more challenging tasks, and provide constructive feedback.
If you think another team member isn’t good enough, you may unconsciously exclude them from opportunities, be more critical, or show less patience.
The most revealing part? People respond to those expectations, internalizing them as signals of their worth.
Now, you might think: “So all I need to do is say positive things to my team, and that’s it.” But the Pygmalion Effect doesn’t work that way. What we truly believe about others is communicated not just through words, but through our attitude and energy that gets perceived powerfully, often overriding any contradictory verbal message.
So, What Can You Do?
The key lies in authenticity and positive intention. Here are some practical tips to consciously and constructively apply the Pygmalion Effect:
How to effectively use the Pygmalion effect to empower your team
Genuinely believe in people’s potential: Don’t fake it. Identify each team member’s true strengths, acknowledge them, and communicate your appreciation with sincerity and clarity.
Use high expectations as a growth tool, not as pressure: Communicate that you expect the best from them because you believe they can achieve it, not because you’re forcing them to meet external goals.
Reinforce progress, not just outcomes: When people feel their efforts are recognized, their motivation and self-confidence grow significantly.
Be mindful of your verbal and nonverbal communication: Sometimes a gesture, a look, or a tone of voice can say more than a thousand words. Maintain an attitude of openness, support, and encouragement.
Be a mirror that empowers, not one that limits: Your role as a leader is not to shape people based on your limiting beliefs but to reflect the best in them until they see it for themselves.
If you find it difficult to see the positive in someone or to believe in them, make a conscious and consistent effort to list their qualities, recall positive shared experiences, recognize their struggles, and genuinely wish them well. Keep reinforcing this narrative until your emotions toward them shift and you can begin to see them from a more constructive perspective. You’ll notice your feelings toward that person change and it will be easier to apply the Pygmalion Effect positively.
Remember: What you believe about others can become what they think about themselves. Be the kind of leader who leaves a lasting, positive impact.
In my Neuroscience-Based Coaching process, I help clients develop the skill of mental and emotional self-awareness and regulation so they can transform their internal narratives both about themselves and others and build healthier, growth-oriented relationships.
If you want to train your mind toward a constructive state and improve your quality of life and leadership, I invite you to explore my Neuroscience Coaching Program. Discover how science can help you reach your goals.
Don’t miss my next article, where we’ll continue exploring the mind and how to use it effectively to achieve your objectives.
Adriana Bárbara Rodríguez, Mind Coach
Adriana Barbara is a Mind specialized Coach that is focused on helping CEO's and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root, achieve their full potential and improve their highest productivity in order to accomplish the organization’s goals in an effective and sustainable way, with her innovative Neuroscience method in leadership.
