When Psychology Revolutionizes Leadership – Patrick Amar

From Investment Banking to Psychology: an Atypical Journey

Patrick’s journey perfectly illustrates the possible evolution of a career when one dares to step off the beaten path. After years in investment banking in London and New York, particularly demanding environments, he closely observed the pathologies of the financial world: cocaine users in trading rooms, depressed individuals on upper floors, social alcoholics…

This exposure to the excesses of the financial world naturally led him to psychology. But his transition happened gradually over 6 years, taking evening classes in psychology while continuing his banking activity. This progressive approach allowed him not to burn all bridges and to benefit from constructive feedback from his environment.

“I was lucky enough to be able to test my new knowledge directly on my colleagues,” Patrick confides with a smile. “They had no idea they were guinea pigs for my first psychology lessons!”

The Evolution of Management: from Authoritarian to Participative

Patrick observes a major transformation in management over the last 15 years. We have moved from an authoritarian “command and control” mode to more inclusive and participative approaches, particularly driven by new generations who demand more transparency, relational connection, and explanation.

In parallel, the issue of workplace well-being has come to the forefront. Psychosocial risks (PSR), which no one talked about 20 years ago, have become central. The emergence of “care management,” empathy, and emotional intelligence reflects this evolution towards more humanity.

However, be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater: authority and certain hierarchies remain necessary. It’s about finding the right balance between participation and leadership, as Patrick subtly points out.

The Pygmalion Effect: the Transformative Power of Managerial Perception

Patrick explains one of the great social psychology experiments to us: the Pygmalion effect by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968). In an American elementary school, researchers administered intelligence tests and then randomly designated some students as “more gifted” and others as “less gifted.”

A year later, the students labeled “more gifted” had indeed progressed more. The prophecy became self-fulfilling: the teachers’ expectations unconsciously influenced their behavior (more attention, patience, challenge), transforming reality.

The managerial message is powerful: the way we perceive our employees has the power to transform them. If I believe a person is competent and has potential, they are more likely to develop it. Conversely, if I consider them incompetent, they risk becoming so. “Our beliefs create our managerial reality,” Patrick summarizes.

The Complex Role of a Manager: from “Doing” to “Getting Things Done”

Patrick highlights the intrinsic difficulty of the managerial role that many underestimate. One spends their life learning technical expertise (the “doing”), then one must shift towards “getting things done” and “enabling success.” This transition mobilizes completely different skills: soft skills take precedence over hard skills.

The manager finds themselves in a delicate position: making people work who would prefer not to. They also become the target of many dissatisfactions, regrets, and doubts, while having to manage their own existential questions.

“That’s the paradox of management,” Patrick explains. “The higher you go, the more you depend on others for success, but the less direct control you have over their actions.”

The Importance of Humility in Managerial Psychology

Unlike exact sciences, psychology and human management require a humble approach. Human beings are complex and multifaceted, requiring varied approaches. New theories do not invalidate previous ones but complement them in continuous enrichment.

This humility is essential because each managerial situation is unique. What works with one person may not necessarily work with another. The manager must develop their adaptability and their range of relational tools, like a craftsman refining their techniques.

Patrick testifies to an ongoing revolution: psychology is massively investing in the corporate world. Concepts of emotional intelligence, resilience, conflict management, and motivation are becoming central in managerial training. This evolution responds to a real need: in an increasingly complex and changing world, the human dimension becomes a differentiating factor for organizations.

In a nutshell…

Here are the three major takeaways from this Masterclass with Patrick Amar:

• Mastering the Managerial Pygmalion Effect: Our expectations of our employees have the power to transform them; a benevolent and demanding perspective naturally stimulates performance.

• Succeeding in the “Doing/Getting Things Done” Transition: Moving from technical expertise to management requires developing a completely new set of soft skills and accepting dependence on others.

• Cultivating Managerial Humility: Human complexity requires a humble and adaptable approach, far from ready-made recipes and universal solutions.

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