The Pygmalion Effect and Leadership

The Pygmalion Effect: How Leaders and Managers Can Create a Virtuous Cycle of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Pygmalion was a legendary figure from Cyprus. In Greek mythology, he was a sculptor who fell in love with the statue of a beautiful woman he created. His work was so fair and realistic that all other real women paled in comparison. He so wished her to be real that when he kissed the statue, its lips felt warm to him. Galatea, as he called the statue, was alive! In essence, the Pygmalion effect is about the power of self-fulfilling prophecies, creating a virtuous cycle of positive expectations that affect those around you. If your expectations are negative and negative outcomes result, this is referred to as the golem effect