The Belief That Built—or Broke—Your Career
How self-fulfilling prophecies shape workplace success, sabotage potential, and silently steer the trajectory of your professional life
Imagine walking into your new job and sensing, almost immediately, that your manager doesn’t believe in you. You haven’t made any real mistakes—yet their tone, the tasks you’re assigned (or not assigned), and their lack of eye contact all scream one thing: low expectations.
You begin to second-guess yourself. You hesitate to speak up in meetings. You don’t stretch beyond the bare minimum. And then—unsurprisingly—you don’t thrive.
This isn’t just bad luck or a mismatched role. You may have been trapped in a self-fulfilling prophecy, one of the most subtle yet powerful psychological forces at play in the workplace.
What Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?
At its core, a self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief or assumption that—simply because it is held—influences behaviors that make the belief come true. It’s a feedback loop between expectation and outcome.
Coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton, the term describes how false beliefs can shape one's perception of reality. “The prophecy,” he wrote, “is initially false, but it is made true by the behavior it generates.”
In other words, when we expect something from others or ourselves, we behave in ways that help bring it about.
How This Plays Out at Work
1. Managerial Expectations Shape Performance
One of the most well-documented examples of a self-fulfilling prophecy in the workplace is how managers’ expectations affect employee output. If a manager believes an employee is a top-tier talent, they’re more likely to:
Assign them challenging projects,
Offer developmental feedback,
Advocate for them publicly.
This employee, buoyed by trust and opportunities, often becomes that high performer—regardless of their starting point.
But the reverse is just as true. If a manager thinks you’re average or unreliable, they may:
Avoid giving you high-stakes work,
Fail to coach or mentor you,
Stop noticing your contributions.
Over time, this lack of engagement leads to real underperformance, reinforcing the manager’s original belief.
This is often referred to as the Pygmalion Effect in leadership: expectations become reality.
2. Team Dynamics and Peer Perception
It’s not just leaders. Colleagues also set expectations—about who’s smart, who’s lazy, who’s “difficult”—and those labels often stick.
Let’s say someone thinks you’re argumentative. Even if you ask clarifying questions, they’ll interpret your behavior through that lens. Eventually, you may become more defensive—not because you are, but because you’re reacting to how you’re treated.
That’s how culture calcifies. People are cast into roles they didn’t audition for, and then they start playing them to survive.
3. Internalized Beliefs Become Limiters
The most dangerous self-fulfilling prophecies are the ones we tell ourselves.
If you believe you’re bad at public speaking, you’ll avoid opportunities to practice. That lack of experience will reinforce your fear, creating a cycle of avoidance and underperformance.
Or maybe you think you’ll never be promoted. So, you stop raising your hand for stretch assignments. You don’t network. You settle. And then—sure enough—you’re passed over.
What started as a story became a reality.
Why This Matters Now
In hybrid and remote environments, we rely more on assumptions than ever. Snap judgments about someone’s reliability or value are often based on minimal interaction—who’s online, who speaks up in Slack, who seems “present.”
That makes us even more vulnerable to self-fulfilling prophecies. Leaders may unconsciously reward those who seem visible or eager while sidelining others who are simply quieter or have a different communication style.
The result? Potential gets lost in translation. And organizations slowly drift away from equity and inclusion, even with the best intentions.
Breaking the Cycle
So how do we stop self-fulfilling prophecies from derailing careers—or entire teams?
1. Start with Awareness
Ask yourself:
Who do I expect to succeed? Why?
Who am I overlooking? Could I be wrong?
What stories am I telling myself about others—or myself?
Awareness is the first step to disrupting bias.
2. Make Feedback Objective, Not Interpretive
Instead of saying, “You don’t seem very engaged,” try:
“I noticed you didn’t contribute in the last three meetings. Is there something getting in the way?”
This keeps the conversation rooted in behavior, not assumptions.
3. Be Curious About Potential
Treat everyone as capable of growth. Give feedback and opportunities broadly—not just to your “stars.” You may be surprised who rises when given the chance.
4. Challenge Your Inner Narrator
If your inner monologue sounds like, “I’m just not cut out for this,” pause. Ask:
What evidence do I have?
Am I avoiding something that would help me grow?
Don’t let a belief rob you of an opportunity to prove it wrong.
Final Thought: What Stories Are You Living Out?
Every workplace is full of narratives. Some are explicit; others are invisible but deeply felt. The best cultures are the ones that challenge those narratives and ask, again and again, is this truly the case? Or is it just a story we keep telling until it becomes one?
The self-fulfilling prophecy reminds us that belief is not a passive act. It’s a force. One that shapes how we treat others, how we see ourselves, and what’s ultimately possible.
So the next time you feel someone’s potential slipping away—or your own—ask: Am I watching the story unfold, or am I helping write it? Or is that just a story I am telling myself?