Have you heard of the Pygmalion Effect?

Some time ago, after successfully delivering my first mobile app project, I had a conversation with my boss that I’ll never forget.

I was curious: “Why did you assign that project to me without even checking if I was 100% ready? (It was the first mobile app that was assigned to me after I showed interest in building mobile apps.)”

His response?

“I’ve trusted you with complex and heavy projects before, and you’ve always delivered. I didn’t doubt for a second that you could handle this too.”

That blew me away.
Not just because of what he said, but because I realized something important:
His belief in me came before the success.
And without even knowing it, that belief had fueled my performance from the very start.

That’s when I began to understand what the Pygmalion Effect really looks like in action.

The Pygmalion Effect is a psychological idea that says:

When people have high expectations of you, you’re more likely to meet or exceed them.

When leaders genuinely trust their engineers’ abilities and back that up with action, people feel seen, empowered, and motivated to rise to the challenge.

But the opposite is also true. Doubt, micromanagement, and second-guessing can chip away at confidence and performance

This effect shows up in small but impactful ways:
📍 Assigning stretch tasks because you believe in someone’s growth
📍 Publicly recognizing effort and progress
📍 Handing over ownership and stepping back

I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about managing projects or or timelines. It’s about creating an environment where belief is visible, trust is loud, and people are set up to succeed.

That one project and the conversation that followed, taught me just how much of a difference that can make.

#InsideEngineeringManagement #PygmalionEffect #EngineeringLeadership #GrowthMindset #WomenInTech