A Theory X company is run from the top down by Theory X managers. You can tell these guys from a mile away, because they say things like:

• “When I want your opinion, I’ll beat it out of you.”
• “My way or the highway.”
• “I put you in charge of this project because I want a single neck to choke when it falls behind.”

As you can tell, control is paramount for the Theory X manager.

Why do bullies like this still exist, creating these Theory X companies? Because, unfortunately for everyone, this aggressive behavior works. If you tell someone exactly what you want them to do, it’ll get done, even if they know there’s a better way. But this authoritarian and autocratic style only goes so far before it starts to break down.

Leadership would work out far better if the “passion” resident in us all could be tapped. But attaining that passion in others requires us to lighten up our control. For executives or managers who are obsessed with control, the prospect of this lack of utter control can be quite frightening. In crises, when creativity can help us identify the best resolution, is when these juggernauts are at their worst.

How do we instill passion into the workplace? To start, don’t treat workers as replaceable cogs in a massive human machine. While this might be “best” for the company’s continuity, this limits the company’s benefit to the additive nature of all the hands so hired. The workers are truly willing to contribute, but only if we are fueled by the adrenaline of passion.

Plenty of executives think that they have the perfect vision. If they can just get that vision across to the masses, they will surely follow – won’t they? Alas, leadership is about far more than simply setting a direction and motivating the troops. To compete in today’s business landscape, leaders need to leverage the collective energy, knowledge, and passion of their team. Leadership isn’t just about directing – that is simple “management.”

I stumbled across a web site called GlassDoor wherein employees get a chance, ala Social Media, to share with those considering employment at a place with which they’ve had a notably bad experience. If you search on their site you can find plenty of examples of a McGregor theory X company.

X Theory Company list – each one worth of a Theory X Case Study of their own:

• Xcel Energy – “Old style theory X corporation with opportunities for hard workers to work the hardest ”
• Bank of America – “Over worked, Theory X Company ”
• Philadelphia Housing Authority – “PHA; theory X employment at a higher level ”
• Laser Techniques Company – “Theory X Management Alive and Well at Laser Techniques Co. ”
• Trisept Solutions - Advice to senior management: “Read up on theory x and theory y of management, and work towards theory y because you’re solidly in theory x, and it’s not working for you.”
• Boeing Commercial Airplanes – “A prevalence of theory x managers . The company can be a good place to work as long as you get to work for the theory y managers. ”
• New England Consulting Group – “Sinking ship. Theory X culture . Not empowering.”

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