It’s worth every leader’s time to creatively experiment with the Pygmalion Effect. And not just leaders but anyone wishing to help others. Why? According to me, it’s because you can participate in a dynamic process (which is less-than-fully understood) whereby we can act as facilitators for other people to become greater versions of themselves, often versions they heretofore had never thought possible.

This certainly benefits any organization in terms of performance improvement from our Team Members. Really, though, that’s a rather selfish motive.

How about we do it simply because it helps others to be uplifted into seeing themselves as greater (and thus living into being greater) tomorrow than they are today. Let any organizational benefit be a side-effect; the primary aim is to do it for the service of others. It’s about investing tactical (i.e., conscious, strategic, purposeful) attention in human beings. It’s about creating better humans, and not in any kind of manipulative, selfish manner, but simply as service to humankind.

Give people a useful, self-fulfilling prophecy. Then step out of the way, taking absolutely no credit, and be a spectator to the blossoming person. Her/his performance as a Team Member at work will very likely show signs of improvement. Again, though, it’s not about that; it’s about helping others to be more fully human and themselves every moment.

Until later…