Words Are Powerful
Dec 22, 2025In a general-education lab, Sylvia noticed a student whose precision and curiosity stood out. She said the quiet part out loud: “You have the mind of a scientist.” No one had ever told that student before. Within a month, the student changed majors—and finished a degree in environmental science. Leadership lives in our language. The right words can widen identity, spark agency, and change trajectories. The wrong ones can shrink possibility.
If you manage people or teach students, calibrate your feedback for growth and dignity. Offer precise, behavior-anchored praise that links present effort to a plausible future identity (“Your questions are meticulous and your records are clean—that’s real scientific thinking.”). Then suggest a next step (“Want to try an independent project?”). Words don’t magically solve constraints, but they expand the space in which people imagine themselves—often enough to try.
Practice for the week: Offer one specific, identity-expanding affirmation to a colleague or learner. Then notice what opens next.
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