How One Label Can Shift a Leader’s Identity and Impact
Oct 16, 2025The Power of Labels
Most leadership development focuses on behaviours. But what if identity comes first?
Back in the 1970s, Stanford researchers found something simple but powerful:
People tend to live up to the labels they’re given.
In one study, participants were randomly told,
“You’re more likely than average to be helpful.”
That one sentence made them significantly more likely to volunteer in the following days. No coaching. No training. Just a new label.
This insight is backed by Self-Perception Theory, which suggests we don’t just discover who we are — we infer it. We learn who we are by watching how we act and by listening to how others describe us.
The same dynamic shows up in leadership every day.
Labels like:
“You’re a natural problem-solver.”
“You always keep your cool.”
“You’re the kind of person who leads by example.”
When heard often enough, they stick — and over time, they shape identity.
The problem is that negative labels stick too.
Many leaders carry internal stories like:
“I’m not good under pressure.”
“I’m not the kind of person who speaks up.”
“I’ve never been confident.”
These scripts quietly run the show. And unless they’re updated, they keep people locked in old patterns.
The shift starts with language.
Try this:
Change “I’m bad under pressure” to “I’m learning to lead calmly under pressure.”
Change “I’m not confident” to “I’m building confidence, one step at a time.”
It might feel small, but the brain listens.
Change the label → change the identity → change the outcome.
You don’t need fixing. You might just need new language.
If you want to strengthen your emotional intelligence and shift how you lead under pressure — let’s talk.