This column is part of Globe Careers' Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about leadership and management. Follow us at @Globe_Careers. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab
One of the great things about the holiday season is the chance to watch all those classic Christmas TV specials.
Like so many people, I'm a big fan of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the enduring animated show that this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Unlike a lot of people, however, my favourite character is not Rudolph, or Santa, or even Bumble, the Abominable Snowmonster.
No, I'm a big fan of Hermey the misfit elf.
He's the elf who wants to be a dentist rather than make toys like all the other elves at the North Pole. Hermey's dream creates a real tension between him and the boss elf.
At one point, Hermey realizes he's never going to fit in and decides he must leave Santa's workshop. He starts out on a dangerous adventure with Rudolph (another misfit) that eventually changes both of their lives.
I like Hermey because in his story, there is a cautionary lesson for anyone in a leadership role.
Over the years, I've worked with many misfit leaders. Let's take the example of Jack, a chief information officer who had dreadful leadership style. His gruff, confrontational relationships with peers and the people he was leading were the cause of many complaints to HR.
Observing Jack in action, I could see that this was an executive who just didn't buy into the company's culture or business strategy. He was, in so many ways, the Hermey of this company; a square peg in a round hole – a misfit.
The CEO of this company took the time to meet with Jack. She had the tough conversations about his style and the impact it was having on him and his department. However, instead of remedying the situation, Jack became defensive and his behaviour actually got worse.
Eventually, Jack was terminated. But not until his personal reputation was completely destroyed. When it was announced he was leaving the company, it was meet with cheers from employees – a pretty sad legacy for any leader.
It seems that every company has a misfit like Jack. And there are certain tell-tale signs that give them away.
The first sign is that they don't live the values of the company. These leaders are likely to wander through their companies openly voicing their scepticism and opposition to almost everything their companies do.
Misfit leaders will constantly gripe about the strategy of the company. Any time an executive-level decision is made, these leaders will criticize and disparage those who made it.
As well, misfit leaders will be in constant conflict with the people they work with. Every interaction they have is negative and adversarial. As a result, misfit leaders aren't respected and eventually become loathed or irrelevant in the eyes of fellow employees.
I've also found that there are really only two outcomes for classic misfit leaders: Like Jack, they eventually end up being terminated from their organizations; or like Hermey, they eventually acknowledge they are a misfit and decide to leave.
The sad thing about many of these stories is that misfits can actually bring value to an organization. If you have been tasked with transforming your company and its culture, it can be useful to run against the grain of the status quo. In some situations, misfits can actually represent the desired culture of the future, setting the tone for others to follow.
But if you haven't been brought in to lead change, then you need to pause and ask yourself – what am I doing here? Am I a misfit? And if so, why do I stay?
Let's remember that when all is said and done, misfits are unhappy people. They're staying in their roles because they need a paycheque, or because they don't want to lose the perks of the job. Those are not good enough reasons to hang on, particularly if you are profoundly unhappy, constantly criticising your organization and fighting with your colleagues.
I've actually seen some misfit leaders wait it out in jobs they hate, hoping that the organization terminates them. Why? So they can get a severance package. As I see it, that's not demonstrating real leadership.
If you are a misfit in your organization, the first thing you need to do is admit it. If you know you are not operating at your best or adding any real value as a leader, you need to be like Hermey. Own up to it and decide to leave on your own accord.
Don't wait to be escorted out of your organization with employees secretly cheering behind you. Have the courage to find a place that better aligns with your style and values. Your colleagues will be happier. More importantly, you'll be happier.
Vince Molinaro (@VinceMolinaro) is managing director of the leadership practice at Toronto-based Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions and the author of The Leadership Contract.