The Pygmalion Effect: Why Leaders Get the Results They Expect

Have you ever noticed how some leaders always seem to get the very best out of their people while others struggle to get even the basics? It’s not luck. It’s not magic. It’s a powerful psychological principle called The Pygmalion Effect—and it could be the secret weapon you’ve been missing as a new manager.

What Is the Pygmalion Effect?

The Pygmalion Effect is the idea that people rise (or fall) to the level of expectations set for them. In other words, if you believe your team is capable of high performance, they’re more likely to deliver. If you believe they’re average at best, they’ll often meet that low bar.

This comes from a famous study in the 1960s where teachers were told certain students were “intellectual bloomers.” In reality, those students were randomly chosen. But by the end of the year, the so-called “bloomers” had made significant gains—because the teachers expected them to succeed and unconsciously treated them differently.

The same thing happens every day in the workplace.

How Expectations Shape Performance

As a manager, your beliefs about your people show up in subtle ways:

• Tone of voice: Do you sound confident when you delegate, or doubtful?

• Body language: Do you lean in with engagement, or cross your arms with skepticism?

• Opportunities: Do you give stretch assignments to those you “believe in” and basic tasks to the rest?

• Feedback: Do you assume mistakes mean incompetence, or do you treat them as learning moments?

Your expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. High expectations inspire growth. Low expectations create stagnation.

Why This Matters for New Managers

If you’re just stepping into leadership, here’s the truth: your team is watching you more closely than you realize. They will pick up on your belief (or lack of belief) in them immediately.

That means:

• If you see them as capable, they’ll step up.

• If you doubt them, they’ll shrink back.

• If you play favorites, you’ll unintentionally create “A players” and “B players.”

The good news? You control the narrative.

How to Use the Pygmalion Effect to Build a Winning Team

Here are a few practical ways to put this into action:

1. Start with belief. Assume your people want to win. Even if they’re struggling, look for potential instead of flaws.

2. Communicate high expectations clearly. Let your team know what “great” looks like and reinforce that you believe they can get there.

3. Catch effort, not just results. Celebrate progress and persistence as much as outcomes.

4. Give growth opportunities. Don’t save the big assignments for your “stars.” Rotate responsibilities and let everyone prove themselves.

5. Coach, don’t label. Instead of calling someone “lazy” or “bad with details,” coach the behavior you want to see.

Final Thought

The Pygmalion Effect is proof that leadership is not just about strategy—it’s about belief. The expectations you carry into every meeting, every 1:1, and every assignment have the power to shape performance more than you think.

If you want to build a high-performing team, it starts with this simple mindset shift: see people not for who they are today, but for who they can become tomorrow.

Go coach ‘em up and make it a great day!