Self-fulfilling prophecies -- a guide for leaders

Who doesn't like talking about the boss, especially if he or she happens to be a nasty one. By now, most of us have come across a boss who can predict the future better than an astrologer. And this skill seems to get honed to perfection during the annual appraisal process each year.

Let's take an example to resonate with you better. In an annual appraisal session, the boss, Mr Bhuiyan, tells his direct subordinate, Mr Sarkar, how he failed to deliver any of the KPIs to satisfaction despite trying hard. "You need to be competitive. This way, you can't survive in this organisation."

What the former meant to say basically was you are not good for anything. Since that session, Sarkar went about doing his job in a constrained way, with the boss's condemnatory words often echoing in his head until he found himself sitting across the table again with Bhuiyan in the following year's appraisal. This time, Bhuiyan wasted no time to affirm his self-fulfilling prophecy, "Didn't I tell you that you are good for nothing?"

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a phenomenon in which a person's belief or expectation influences their behaviour so much that it makes the belief or expectation comes true. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be self-imposed or externally imposed. Self-imposed prophecies are when your own beliefs or expectations affect your actions. Externally imposed prophecies are when other people's beliefs or expectations affect your behaviour.

Let's reverse the above scenario with Bhuiyan presenting the same feedback differently and how the outcome can also be different. "I have seen you trying hard to deliver KPIs. There may be reasons why you may not have achieved the results. But never mind, try these strategies, and I am quite certain you will perform way better."

With the boost of encouragement, Sarkar goes back to his desk, nodding to himself about the alternative strategies, resuming work with a more positive mindset and starting to believe how he can turn things around. In the following year's appraisal, Bhuiyan beamed as he said, "Look at you, Sarkar! Didn't I tell you can do it?"

The lesson from the two scenarios is how you can make an assumption about a person, treat that person according to that assumption, how the person starts acting according to that assumption, and how the assumption is reinforced and becomes a fact.

We often undermine the role of self-fulfilling prophecies that can positively and negatively affect an individual or society. They can influence various aspects of life, such as education, health, relationships, communication, mental health, and, in this case, the performance of the superior and the subordinates. They can also shape communication by influencing how people perceive and interact with each other.

Self-fulfilling prophecies can impact political or corporate leaders in various ways, depending on the type and direction of the prophecies. Positive self-fulfilling prophecies can enhance leaders' performance, motivation, and self-confidence by creating a positive cycle of high expectations, optimistic feedback, and successful outcomes. 

Negative self-fulfilling prophecies, on the other hand, can impair a leader's performance, motivation, and self-confidence by creating a negative cycle of low expectations, pessimistic feedback, and poor results. So, it is vital for leaders to be aware of how their self-fulfilling prophecies can impact themselves and their followers and how they can be used wisely and responsibly.

They should set realistic and attainable goals that are challenging but not overwhelming. They should also provide constructive and positive feedback that encourages growth and improvement.

Sanjiv Mehta, my superior at Unilever, would always tell us, "It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that will determine your altitude."

Positive feedback only brings positive outcomes. Lest we forget, you reap what you sow.

The author is founder and managing director of BuildCon Consultancies Ltd