A Leader’s Belief

How small signals shape confidence on the trail and at work

On Saturday I ran a trail race where runners could choose one, two, or three loops of a ten-mile course.

I chose two. Twenty miles felt like the right distance, enough to push myself, not so much that I’d be wrecked for a week. For context, no matter what distance you signed up for on Saturday, 10mi, 20mi or 30mi, this wasn’t a casual walk; the trails were muddy, steep and long.

The energy at the start-line was pretty familiar; there were the nervous jokes, people adjusting their watches and generally sharing words of encouragement.

“You’ve got this.”
“Strong day for it.”
“Going for three? I love it!”

Standing nearby was another runner, a woman who didn’t fit the stereotypical image many people carry when they picture a trail runner. She had signed up for one loop. Ten miles.

As people noticed her bib color, the one-loop option, the conversation was very different.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Take it easy out there.”
“Just listen to your body.”

All of those comments were well-intentioned, but distinctly different. No one said, “You’ve got this.”

Then 8:00am, start time. I settled into my rhythm for the next few hours.

When I came through the end of my second loop, she had already finished hers; tired like everyone else, but relaxed shoulders, composed and tons of pride. She had crossed the line just fine.

Then I remembered the comments at the start line.

I didn’t remember the comments because they were intentionally hurtful; I don’t think anyone meant harm. But because of how quickly we project stories onto people.

We do it based on appearance, age, age, comportment, communication style and even clothing.

We subtly calibrate expectations of who we encourage, who we protect and who we assume will struggle.

There’s a well-documented psychological phenomenon called the Pygmalion Effect: people tend to perform in line with the expectations placed on them. When we subtly lower expectations, we often unintentionally lower performance.

“Take it easy” means something different from “You’ve got this.” One is protective almost casting doubt on the outcome, the other is encouraging.

and the subtle impact on performance is as you would expect.

People are great about reading the micro-signals; a stretch project offered (or not), a vote of confidence in a meeting or a slight hesitation that communicates doubt. As leaders, we have a significant impact on performance and on perceived possibility. And perceived possibility shapes behavior.

Just like the trail, success doesn’t depend on what you look like. It depends far more on preparation and persistence.

Leadership isn’t only about pushing harder. It’s also about expanding belief.

Because when we expand belief, we expand capacity, in others and in ourselves.

“You’ve got this.”