The Pygmalion Effect

The Pygmalion effect, sometimes referred to the Rosenthal effect, describes the phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon an individual - generally children, students, and employees - the better they perform.

Making reference to the last blog that I posted, “What is Leadership Exactly,” I have pondered how the Pygmalion Effect could be an extension of what your parents have instilled in your belief and general value system. I learned from a young age, as most other children have, that you soon learn the differences between right and wrong from several sources. Beliefs systems are extensions of parents, friends, family, teachers, government, society, co-workers, etc. Since this blog makes references back to my education, I will be focusing my analysis on teachers and their capacity to encourage higher learning expectations.

Relating back to the Pygmalion Effect how is it possible that teachers, who are responsible for the education and fostering of our adolescent education, could directly improve a student’s mental capacity in only one year? I am a firm believer in the following quote: “You get back what you put in,” meaning if you are willing to make the effort, you will reap the benefits. Likewise, if you not willing to give an honest effort, or your teacher doesn’t foster a learning environment, chances are high that you will not achieve your desired goals. However, could there be more to education than meets the eye?

In an extension of the Pygmalion Effect, it was determined that higher expectations could also be the results of racially-motivated expectations. Jane Elliott, an American teacher and anti-racism activist from Iowa, created the famous “blue-eyed versus brown-eyed” exercise, first done with grade school children in the 1960s. Today, this exercise has become a common place for the basis of diversity training.
The experiment was constructed as follows: Of the two eye-color groups, one group was given preference and regarded as "superior" because of their eye color, with the other group repeatedly being considered inferior in intelligence and learning ability. On the second day of the experiment, the groups were completely reversed, with those oppressed against one day being regarded as superior the next. Elliott gave spelling tests to both groups on each day of the experiment. The students scored very low on the day they were racially "inferior" and very high on the day they were considered racially "superior." (Peters 1971)

Needless to say, there are several variables that can play in the final reasoning for the Pygmalion Effect; however, in my experiences to this point I can say that individuals who uphold high levels of expectations will generally expect individuals to meet those goals. I consider myself fortunate to not only know these types of individuals, but also have parents who expect this from me.


1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect . Peters, Williams (1971). A Class Divided, New York: Doubleday and Company.

What is Leadership Exactly?

I was pleasantly surprised by a comment received last week in my last blog from someone who I consider a true leader, my father, Charles. He stated, and I quote, "Always remember to give recognition to the ones that deserve it. Without dropping the ball, always support the ones striving to achieve it."

I was a bit floored by his comments primarily because this was truly a piece of advice that made me ponder his thoughts.

By definition, leadership is an act that involves influencing, motivating, or empowering others to contribute towards an effective and (hopefully) successful endeavor. Now, I haven't specifically geared this towards an organizational thought, but if that was necessary I would have to include ideals such as allocating resources, key personnel, lines of communication, and management tactics (to say the least). What had especially floored me by my father's quote was the tactful sincerity that was offered. Although his words imply a sense of achievement, you must remember those who have fostered your progress from start to present: your parents, family, teachers, etc...

In this case, my business fundamentals were all derived from my parents as I was involved in a family-owned operation when I was only 12-years old. Not only was I involved, but everyday customers asked for me by name as I was the local 'guru' and source of knowledge.


As I review my current level of leadership, I realize that I uphold a host of cultural and personal values, in addition to the fact that envision direct, supportive, participatory, and achievement-focused styles of work. I'm not mandating that my fellow co-workers and/or subordinates tailor their work to this mold; however, it will make my stream of workflows much easier.

I've always said that when all team members are on the same page, completing tasks are much easier than two employees who are in different levels. I'm not about 're-inventing' the wheel, rather making the process smoother and a safer ride!

Re-Organizating A Structured Corporation

In my prior career as a Portfolio Manager in the Automotive Industry, I was curious to know about the internal workings and foundation of an established company. What I had realized, or noticed through my tenure, was a company that had way too many 'ladders' and/or 'hoops to jump through' to simply make a decision. The following blog will address reasons why these ideals could pose a serious problem for a company.


Historically, my former employer, not mentioned to retain anonymity, had engaged in a taller hierarchy with several layers of management. To me, the problems experienced with this situation are readily apparent - "Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians." I'm not trying to ruffle the feathers of readers, but in an organizational level, the employees are the ones who actually make a product, provide a service, or supply the expertise to their direct manager. When there are excessive layers of management, usually the information will become bottle-necked and generally slows down the internal approval process. Furthermore, the actual employees who complete the work are not recognized for their completed work, rather the management officials gloat in their exemplary work. Not only will this lead to poor job satisfaction, but eventually the employee may respond by leaving their job, voicing their opinions to peers and/or management, suffer in silence by remaining meek and reserved, or most commonly - neglecting their work efforts, not paying attention to their quality of work, or arriving late or not showing up at all.

The theory previously mentioned is commonly referred to as the EVLN Model, standing for Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect. A manager who engages with their team will be able to identify these types of actions that may eventually lead to one of these 4 ailments, but changing someone's emotional and habitual actions can be more difficult once they have a problem with a senior co-worker or a member of the management staff.

Taking into account my desire for success and employee empowerment, I decided to take a stand. I often times voiced my opinion, albeit trying my best to avoid inserting my foot in mouth, while playing the corporate political game. I proposed that the corporation 'de-layer' the roles of management, eventually flattening the role of bosses. Theoretically, my plan would reduce labor costs, increase output performance, and reduce the approval time processes. All positive views, however, I forgot to identify the possible negative attributes such as the undermining of managerial functions, increased workloads and stress on managers, and the restriction or absence of managerial career development opportunities. This could definitely have detrimental impacts to the new wave of employees and their viewpoint of where their hard work and efforts could eventually land them in the next 3-5 year timeframe.

Unfortunately, I cannot inform the reader of management's final decision-making fate. You may ask, why not? Well, fortunately for me, I decided to high tail it out the door and let someone else clean up the mess. I had remained loyal to a company that promoted, relocated, and taught me a wealth of knowledge; however, they missed one vital component that any member of management should not overlook: empower your employees to ensure that they feel their work will eventually lead them to a position of power. Management was religiously quoting, "You should all be happy that you still have a job," in an otherwise stagnate or depressed economy. Conversely, members of management should have been stating, "Great job with that last Proposal,” or “That Financial Analysis of Client X was absolutely right on!" Fortunately for me, multi-tasking is in my DNA and I had already planned my exit strategy and my commitment to the continuation of my MBA education. To this point, I have not regretted my decision and look forward to a promising career in future Finance and Management endeavors!

Mario's Personality Profile - ENTJ

As part of a Management MBA class that I am currently enrolled in at Towson University in Maryland, I was instructed to take a Myers-Briggs Personality Profile Test. Previously, give or take roughly 5 years ago, my results were ENTP (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving); however, time has shifted my natural tendencies slightly. After re-taking the exam online, my results were ENTJ (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging) with the only difference in the last segment from Perceiving to Judging.

Generally, a common characteristic of a ENTJ is a vision of the future and the ability to make that vision come true. Basically, my thoughts behind this concept are similar to a position such as a Project Manager, Financial Planner, or even your local Wealth Management Investor. I can vouch for the fact that many ENTJs have a high-level of analytical tendencies and businesses will often seek individuals who have these traits to be business consultants, financial or economic analysts, and stockbrokers.

A typical trait of an ENTJ is that many individuals exhibiting this personality set is commonly driven toward leadership and/or roles that exude decision-making responsibilities. In a business environment, ENTJs can be found as top executives or senior management officials. Personally, I am driven by deadlines and goals; furthermore, I allure, if not implore, fellow employees and subordinates to achieve similar expectations. A realization is eventually expected that all individuals cannot have the same personality and work ethics, but if your team works together toward the same goal, the sky is definitely the limit!