“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Brian Johnson from Heroic is a wonderful source of wisdom. Johnson and his team write “Philosopher’s Notes” and I highly recommend you subscribe. He shares big ideas from life-changing books distilled into short, quick reads.
My goal is for Johnson and his team to highlight Chasing Influence on Heroic’s Philosopher’s Notes. Would you please take one minute to recommend Chasing Influence here? Thank you!
Moving Belief to Achievement
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
Believing in someone else can make all the difference in one’s life. The Pygmalion Effect shows how our expectations of others can shape their performance. It explains how people often live up to the expectations placed upon them—positive or negative. Whether in leadership or coaching, understanding the Pygmalion Effect can help us lift our teams … simply by believing in them.
Late one night in 1963 psychologist Robert Rosenthal snuck into his lab and labeled rats with a note on their cages. Half of the rats he labeled “bright” and the other half of the domesticated rodents were labeled “dull.” A group of Rosenthal’s students then took care of these rats for the next week. At the end of the week, Rosenthal had his research students run the rats through a maze.
The results were amazing. Those labeled as smart rats completed the maze faster than those labeled as dumb. Here’s the catch: Rosenthal had randomly labeled the rats, 100% blind to any kind of rat smarts. There were no “smart” or “dumb” rats. However, for the next week the students, who didn’t know what Rosenthal had done, treated those rats as though there were a difference. They believed some rats were indeed smarter than others were. Because of this belief, they treated those rats differently. Because those rats were treated different, they learned the maze faster! Similar studies have shown the Pygmalion Effect can also influence student learning.
Our labels and expectations of others produce self-fulfilling prophesies!
So, how can we harness the Pygmalion Effect to benefit our teams? Here are practices to use:
Hold Teams to High Expectations. Believe in the potential of your team members and let them know you do while supporting them every step of the way. This is important – you must give the needed support to achieve elevated expectations. When you hold high expectations collaborated with care, you are communicating that you see something great in your team and will boost their confidence and motivation.
Practice Visualization. Mental imagery is a powerful tool. Encourage your team to visualize themselves succeeding. In doing so, you plant seeds which can grow into reality.
Lead by Example. Actions speak louder than words. People follow what leaders do more than what they say. Show your team the behaviors and attitudes you expect from them. When you do, your teams are more likely to follow suit.
The Pygmalion Effect shows us that high expectations can produce improved performance. As leaders and coaches, when we believe in the potential of those we lead, it can make all the difference!
“Dream, Dream, Dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.”
— Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Connecting this quote to the story. This quote emphasizes how leaders’ high expectations, like dreams, can inspire belief, which drives others to take actions that turn those expectations into reality.
Chasing Influence tip: Believe in your team’s potential, and they will start to believe in it too.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
Updates on Chasing Influence
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life is available in Kindle, softcover, hardcover, and audiobook editions.
For additional resources, links to podcast appearances, and other Chasing Influence news, click here.
©Troy Urdahl, 2024