People, all people, are deeply flawed. We are all so far from perfection, that it’s not even close. Yet corporations exist with the understanding that we can assemble a vast array of imperfect people to achieve a great outcome. That task is something we call leadership.

The body of theoretical and practical knowledge here is vast. There are a few foundational concepts that I’ll use to frame the topic.

• Theory X. People are extrinsically motivated. Through the use of rewards and punishments, imperfect people can be made to achieve a good outcome.
• Theory Y. People are intrinsically motivated. They naturally want to work hard and do a good job. People just need to be well-aligned and supported, and they will achieve a good outcome.
• Theory Z. People are motivated by purpose and meaning. They will work hard and will self-align when they have a sense of belonging, safety, and mission.

Theory X is very similar to Scientific Management, also called Taylorism, popular in 1910. Theory Y was developed in 1960 by Douglas McGregor. Finally, Theory Z was developed by Abraham Maslow in 1969.

Many more leadership theories have developed since these fundamentals were established, but for this article, I’m going to stop right here. As leaders, we often chase new ideas and new theories. In this case, everything we need to know has been around for 53 years now.

That’s enough theory. Let’s size up the situation.

The best leaders operate fluently across Theories X, Y, and Z. Modern leaders aren’t going to exclusively operate just one way. They will move around, based on the situation.

The funny thing is, of all the theories, it is only X that acknowledges that people are problematic. Theories Y and Z seem to start with a base assumption that people are amazing and problem free. Therefore, when trouble happens, leaders often head straight for Theory X to solve it.

This is why 112 years after the peak of Taylorism, corporations still have a reputation for being soul-crushing machines that chew people up and spit them out when they are no longer needed.

The Island of Misfit Toys

You are a leader. You get a new leadership job at a new company. You are pumped! After a little while, you start to get a feel for your new job and get to know your team. Before long you get the sinking feeling that you’ve been asked to lead the Island of Misfit Toys. For those unfamiliar with the reference, this is from the 1964 Christmas movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Like the misfit toys, your team members are unloved, unwanted, and full of defects. It dawns on you: They hired me to lead the team that no one else wanted. Oh goodie.

This is where good leaders shine. I’ve seen it time and time again. In fact, it’s the story arc of most movies, especially sports films. The underdogs with good leaders always win.

When I’m new in a leadership role, I am patient. I don’t know the environment. I don’t know what people have been through. I just see a bunch of odd behavior and I take note. I wonder how my team will respond to the change in leadership. I wonder how people will adapt when I build an environment of empowerment, trust, and mission.

I’ve seen the results of leadership styles that relied too heavily on Theory X. It’s not great. It certainly can damage people. However, most are not damaged beyond hope. In my experience, I’ve found that many will rise to the occasion.

Grace and redemption

Those two words are not often used in the context of corporate leadership, but they should be. Leaders are in the business of extending grace to those that need a second chance and redeeming lost careers. There are diamonds in the rough. It’s our job to search for them, then shine them up.

I’ve worked on a lot of misfit toys over the years. They weren’t going anywhere. They weren’t doing anything remarkable. They were problematic. Others were more than ready to cast them aside.

In those people, I saw something. I can’t easily explain it, but I was compelled to reach out, coach them, and see what’s possible. In a different leadership environment, one with a whole lot more Theory Y and Z, they rose. They grew. They unlocked a new level of performance, that they didn’t even know was possible.

One thing they all had in common, was humility and a desire to improve. I can work with that all day long.

Joy

Leaders are in the business of making more leaders. It’s what we do. Many leadership candidates are obvious from the start. That’s cool. However, I draw immense joy from finding the leadership potential inside those that had been discarded and overlooked.

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see someone doing well and making a significant contribution, especially when that person wasn’t going anywhere when I found them.

Imperfect

I’m going the end this article back where I started. People, all people, are deeply flawed. Most of all, me. I’m not a perfect leader by any stretch of the imagination. I do my best and I try to get better. I’ve received plenty of second chances in my career. I’m grateful for that. This article is about paying it forward. It’s also about believing that leadership matters. A leader can make a difference in redeeming the career of another. The question is, will you be that leader?

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