What makes an effective leader? To be sure, no characteristic or trait defines an effective leader. It is true, however, that effective leaders get the most out of employees or group members by holding them to very high standards or expectations.
Setting high standards increases productivity because people tend to live up to the expectations set for them by superiors. This is an example of the Pygmalion effect, which works in a subtle, often unconscious way. When a managerial leader believes that a group member will succeed, the manager communicates this belief without realizing that he or she is doing so. Conversely, when a leader expects a group member to fail, that person will not usually disappoint the manager. The manager’s expectation of success or failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thus it pays for a manager to expect the best from employees.