How a wild dream shook up a rigid boss
Matt sighed as he pulled into the office parking lot, dreading another long day ahead.
As a junior sales rep at MultiGoods Inc., he spent most days cold-calling potential clients, trying desperately to meet the overly optimistic sales targets his boss Leslie set.
Leslie was the definition of a transactional leader, motivating her team through rewards and punishments rather than inspiration or collaboration.
Matt always felt like he was one missed target away from getting an angry slack message or being denied his end-of-month bonus.
Not exactly uplifting for employee morale.
As Matt trudged into the ultra-modern sales office, he grabbed a mediocre cup of coffee and sat down at his desk.
He glanced at the motivational poster on his wall that showed a kitten hanging from a tree branch with the caption “Hang in there!”
“If only it were that easy,” Matt thought.
The Transactional Triangle Emerges
As soon as Matt logged into his computer, there it was: an instant message from Leslie.
“Team, meet in the main conference room in 10 minutes for an urgent meeting. Attendance is mandatory.”
Matt sighed. Just another transactional Tuesday.
He made his way into the sleek conference room, with its shiny marble table and ergonomic leather chairs.
As the team filtered in, Leslie stood at the front, a grim look on her angular face.
Her dark hair was pulled tightly back in a bun, and her suit looked sharp enough to cut glass.
“Alright people, listen up,” she barked. “Our sales numbers have been dismal this month. Unacceptable! I’ve put each of you into your own Transactional Triangle based on your performance.”
Murmurs of confusion spread through the room.
Leslie clicked a button, and a triangle graphic appeared on the screen behind her.
“You see here that the triangle represents the three aspects of transactional leadership,” Leslie explained. “The top point is Rewards — the bonuses, promotions, and other perks you’ll receive for meeting goals.
The bottom left is Active Management, meaning I will closely monitor all of your metrics and activities.
And finally, we have Passive Management on the bottom right, a code for punishments like pay cuts and probation.”
The team shifted uncomfortably as Leslie continued.
“Based on your sales numbers for the quarter, you have each been placed at a specific point along one line of this triangle of transactional truth,” she said.
Matt gulped. This did not sound good.
Matt Gets Pigeonholed
“Let’s start with Matt,” Leslie said, fixing her steely gaze on him.
“Matt, you are hovering between active and passive management. I’ve been watching your productivity metrics, and I’m not satisfied.
You’ve made 43 cold calls a day, when I expect 60. And your conversion rate is only 10% versus the 15% I know you’re capable of.”
Matt opened his mouth to protest, but Leslie steamrolled on.
“If you don’t pick up the pace, you can expect some passive management headed your way. A reduced territory, for starters. Maybe a pay cut too, if I don’t see changes within the next two weeks.”
Matt slunk down in his chair, his face burning.
How was he supposed to suddenly increase his numbers when all his best leads had already been exhausted?
“Now, Sheila, on the other hand,” Leslie continued, “is firmly situated by the Rewards point of the triangle.”
A woman across the table sat up proudly.
“She has consistently exceeded her sales targets and even landed us the WizTech partnership last quarter. Keep up the good work, Sheila, and you can expect that promotion we discussed plus an increased expense budget.”
Sheila beamed under the praise while everyone else looked decidedly more miserable.
Matt Steps Into Bizzaro World
The rest of the meeting proceeded in the same vein, with Leslie assessing the team’s transactional coordinates and handing out both rewards and punishments.
By the end, Matt just felt drained.
On the way back to his desk, Matt grabbed another coffee, hoping it would give him a jumpstart.
But when he took a sip, he nearly spit it out. The normally bitter drink now tasted sickeningly sweet.
“What the heck?” Matt muttered. He glanced down at the mug and saw rainbows swirling inside. Rainbows?
Matt looked up and jumped. The entire office had been transformed. The previously white walls were now bubble gum pink. Upbeat pop music was blaring from speakers that were shaped like hearts.
And there, standing smack in the middle, was Leslie. Except she no longer looked like the ball-busting boss Matt knew.
This Leslie had platinum-blond hair flowing in loose curls down her back.
A fluffy pink tracksuit and glittery unicorn galoshes had taken the place of her power suit.
Matt stood stunned as Leslie pranced up to him.
“Matty!” she squealed, squeezing him in a cashmere-scented hug. “So gwad you’re back! Let’s have a super fun powwow about your sales, ‘kay?”
Matt’s legs wobbled in shock. What kind of bizzaro world had he stumbled into?
Leslie Transforms Into a Visionary Leader
Leslie tucked her arm through Matt’s and towed him over to a bright orange beanbag chair shaped like a daisy.
She pushed him down onto it gently and settled herself onto a nearby neon green one.
“Okie dokie, Matty,” Leslie said, opening up a Lisa Frank rainbow binder. “Your sales are totes cray cray!” She giggled at her use of slang, then turned serious.
“I totes know you can reach higher numbers,” she said. “You just need support and inspiration, not punishment. So let’s rap!”
Matt sat stunned as Leslie asked him probing questions and listened intently to his answers.
When had she ever cared about his well-being or obstacles before?
She was fully engaged in understanding his perspective.
“I get now why you’ve been struggling,” Leslie finally said, snapping her rainbow binder shut. “Your territory doesn’t align with your talents. Fear not…I can fix that!”
She squeezed Matt’s hand, her brow furrowed in concern.
“And no more crazy sales targets without your input, ‘kay? We’ll create goals as a team from now on. Oooh, we’re gonna have soooo much fun!”
Matt was thoroughly confused.
Leslie was now acting like a warm, empowering leader instead of a cold transactional boss.
She seemed eager to inspire him and consider his needs—a far cry from the punishment threats she’d lobbed earlier that very same day!
“I don’t understand,” Matt said slowly. “Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? What changed?”
Leslie blinked innocently.
“Whatcha talking about, silly goose? I’ve always been this way!”
The Lessons Sink In…Or Do They?
Matt jolted awake to find himself back at his normal desk, his heart pounding.
The motivational kitten poster stared back at him.
His coffee, abandoned on the side, was stone cold and bitter once again.
Matt shook his head to clear it.
Had he just imagined that entire bizzaro scenario?
It had felt so real. And yet here he was, right back where the day started.
“Whoa,” Matt muttered.
Maybe he had dozed off during that meeting and dreamed up an absurd vision of Leslie transforming into a caring leader.
Obviously, she would never change her style. Not when transactional leadership was second nature to her.
Or…would she?
Leslie’s words from the dream echoed in Matt’s mind:
“You just need support and inspiration, not punishment.”
He sighed. Well, it had been a nice thought. But Leslie wasn’t likely to morph into a visionary leader any time soon.
Just then, an email from Leslie popped up on Matt’s screen:
Matt,
I wanted to check in after today’s meeting. I know my transactional style isn’t always motivating in the long run. You deserve more support to reach your goals. Let’s grab coffee (the good stuff from Starbucks, not the breakroom sludge!) and talk through how I can be a better leader to help you thrive. My treat!
Leslie
Matt’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Whaaaat?! He read the email again just to confirm.
Leslie wanted his input on how to become a more empowering leader?
She was offering to get him GOOD coffee?
Matt smelled the bitter mug besides him again and shuddered.
Yeah, he could definitely go for some Starbucks.
A slow smile spread across Matt’s face.
Maybe Leslie could transform her leadership style after all.
And maybe, just maybe, his dream would become reality…minus the Lisa Frank binders, of course!
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