The Pygmalion Effect and Leadership
The Pygmalion effect refers to a psychological phenomenon where higher expectations lead to improved performance in others. First described in 1968, it gets its name from the Greek myth of Pygmalion, where a sculptor’s great expectations for his statue result in it coming to life. Essentially, when teachers or leaders expect more of others, those individuals perform better.
In this month’s stimulating 9-minute video, South African entrepreneur Theran Knighton-Fitt explains how a leader’s perspective can have a substantial impact on the effort and the output of their team. We can unlock greatness, but we can also lock-in mediocrity.
A Balancing Act
The senior living industry places such a heavy focus on compliance with regulations that we tend to think of all other concerns as secondary, including leadership skills. In reality, leadership skills matter as much, if not more than competencies, rules, and regulations. Leaders can impact the organization favorably in a multitude of ways that include employee engagement, morale, motivation, productivity, and decision-making. When cultivated and developed, those factors will lead to a healthier team, with no loss of attention to compliance or regulations.
Spend some time each week learning a new leadership skill or refreshing a skill you’ve previously learned, and apply this skills to your daily work. When you lead well, your job becomes more enjoyable and you’ll be a leader that others want to follow.
