Nudge Podcast Episode Summary

Are Leaders Born or Are They Made?

Podcast: Nudge
Host: Phill Agnew
Guest: Prof. Adam Galinsky (Columbia Business School, author of "Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others")
Date: November 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Nudge explores the age-old question: "Are leaders born, or are they made?" Host Phill Agnew and guest Adam Galinsky dive into the science of leadership, using compelling stories, behavioral science research, and actionable advice. Galinsky asserts that leaders are made, not born, highlighting specific behaviors anyone can adopt to inspire others. The discussion centers on real-life leadership examples, the psychological principles behind them, and practical tools to help listeners become more effective and inspiring leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Contrasting Leadership Under Crisis

Case Study 1: Tammy Jo Schultz, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 (01:34 - 04:37)

• Schultz safely lands a damaged plane after an engine explosion tears a hole in the fuselage.

• She reassures passengers with a calm, concrete message:
  "We are not going down, we're going to Philly." — Tammy Jo Schultz (02:12)

• Demonstrates perspective-taking, empathy, and personal engagement, checking on every passenger post-landing.

  “She said, we are not going down, we're going to Philly. That one statement ... took them from the edge of a heart attack right into hope and possibility.”
  — Adam Galinsky (02:42)

Case Study 2: Captain Francesco Schettino, Costa Concordia (04:51 - 07:48)

• Schettino mishandles a cruise ship disaster, delays reporting, and abandons ship before passengers are rescued.

• Contrasts sharply with Schultz’s responsibility and presence.

• Resulted in tremendous loss of life and public outrage; serves as an example of infuriating leadership.

  “He was sitting in a lifeboat, you know, as a nameless passenger, essentially, while other people were frantically running around and trying to save themselves.”
  — Adam Galinsky (06:45)

Reflection & Analysis (07:48 - 08:13)

• Leadership isn't a matter of “born or made” but about actions and words that either inspire hope or stir resentment.

  “Our words, our actions, our interactions create either a wellspring of hope and possibility, or a seething cauldron of rage and resentment inside others.”
  — Phill Agnew (08:13)

2. The Leader Amplification Effect (09:04 - 12:58)

• Leaders (and those in high-status or central roles) greatly magnify the emotional impact of their words and behaviors.

• Adam shares his own memorable experience with Danny Kahneman — how both minor criticism and a passing compliment stuck with him for decades due to Kahneman’s perceived authority.

  “For him, these comments were offhand right. For me, they were momentous ... still affect me 30 years later.”
  — Adam Galinsky (10:37)

• Small gestures from leaders disproportionately affect others, a phenomenon dubbed the "leader amplification effect."

• Example: Joseph Stigliano, a bank president, makes it a daily habit to personally email every employee on their birthday, referencing something personal, which has a transformative effect on morale.

  "In 10 minutes, right, he changes people's lives." — Adam Galinsky (12:58)

3. The Power of Reciprocity & Authority (12:58 - 15:50)

• Robert Cialdini’s "Reciprocity Principle": Small acts of kindness trigger a desire to reciprocate.
• Experiments show that combining authoritative recognition with a small gift or acknowledgment produces especially strong behavioral effects:
  • Letter from the CEO + a small gift = highest compliance (from 5% baseline to 17% in a donation experiment).

4. Three Practical Leadership Behaviors

• Behavior 1: Recognize and Acknowledge Others (12:58 - 15:50)

• Personal, even trivial-seeming recognition (like a birthday email) from a leader can have significant motivational impact.
• Builds goodwill and inspires reciprocation.

• Behavior 2: Use Concrete, Visual Language (17:13 - 22:52)

• Leadership vision statements and messages are more effective when they contain concrete, image-driven phrases.

  “Our vision is that all of our toys... will make wide eyed kids laugh and proud parents smile.”
  — Example from Andrew Carton’s study (17:50)

• Research shows that visual language in speeches (such as presential nomination speeches) correlates closely with election outcomes.

  "Americans live on the sunrise side of the mountain."
  — George W. Bush, cited by Adam Galinsky (21:38)

• Visual, memorable statements help people to better understand missions and feel inspired.

• Behavior 3: Repeat Key Messages (22:52 - 26:56)

• The "illusion of truth" effect: Repetition makes messages more believable and memorable.

• Studies show that even just repeating your own or your company's name can increase funding, engagement and ratings in various contexts (investment pitches, TED Talks, app store descriptions).

  "When people repeated the name of the company more times in their sort of synopsis, again, they were more likely to be rated, the number of ratings and the positivity of the ratings.”
  — Adam Galinsky (24:48)

• Repetition acts as a mental “ballast,” making communications stick and helping people make sense of uncertainty.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "She said, we are not going down, we're going to Philly."
  — Adam Galinsky, on Tammy Jo Schultz’s life-saving calm (02:12)
• "Our words, our actions, our interactions create either a wellspring of hope and possibility, or a seething cauldron of rage and resentment inside others.”
  — Phill Agnew (08:13)
• "Leaders are always on stage. People are paying attention to them... their reactions are going to be intensified."
  — Adam Galinsky (11:26)
• "In 10 minutes, right, he changes people's lives."
  — Adam Galinsky, on Joseph Stigliano’s daily routine (12:58)
• "Americans live on the sunrise side of the mountain."
  — George W. Bush’s metaphor, cited (21:38)
• "The power of repetition is… or my discussion, I should say, of the power of repetition has, you know, earned clients, you know, over a billion dollars."
  — Adam Galinsky (26:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:34 — Story of Tammy Jo Schultz and leadership under crisis
• 04:51 — Contrasting example: Captain Francesco Schettino and failed leadership
• 09:04 — The Leader Amplification Effect and its personal impact
• 12:58 — Reciprocation and recognition in leadership behavior
• 15:50 — Transition to actionable advice for inspiring leadership
• 17:13 — The power of concrete, visual language (Andrew Carton’s research)
• 22:52 — The importance of repetition in effective leadership communication
• 26:56 — Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Summary Takeaways

• Good leaders are made, not born. Effective, inspiring leadership hinges on a set of adoptable behaviors—not innate traits.
• Three actionable leadership habits:
  1. Acknowledge others — Small, personalized gestures from a leader can have outsized positive effects (due to amplification and reciprocity).
  2. Use vivid, concrete language — Visual, specific statements are more memorable and inspiring than abstract, generic ones.
  3. Repeat important messages — Repetition increases believability, retention, and emotional impact.
• Leadership impact is intensified by status and attention; small acts and words have amplified consequences.
• Even failed leaders can become great by adopting these behaviors.
• Further research-backed tips will be shared in a follow-up episode.