Dichotomy of Michael Scott: Dumb vs. Genuine

As we continue with our look at the leadership stylings of The Office's Michael Scott - we find a very unique leadership dichotomy of "Dumb vs. Genuine".





Part of Michael Scott is pretty dumb. He gets words wrong. He makes mistakes with understanding situations. He does not know how to interact in many social settings. Basically, Michael Scott is pretty dumb with a lot of things.



But, he is also extremely genuine. There is one example that shows how his apparent stupidity actually reveals itself as genuine. Pam, the artsy receptionist at Dunder-Miflin, had some of her art displayed at a local art show. She invited everyone at the office but almost nobody showed up. And the people that did come only discouraged her. Granted, her art was noticeably inferior to everyone else's art, but Pam was very disappointed and on the verge of tears. Then Micheal Scott showed up. And Michael absolutely loved Pam's art. He was fairly gushing over it - and he even bought one piece! You could easily tell that Michael's genuine enjoyment of Pam's art meant the world to her in that moment.


In that case, some people might only see how dumb Michael Scott is with the art. Pam's art obviously wasn't very good. But Michael had no idea. His art knowledge would be between zilch and zero. Many people would only see how dumb it was of Michael to like Pam's art so much.


But when someone looks deeper, they can see that Michael's genuine heart and personality impacted Pam so much that she will never forget that. Michael is not afraid to be himself. He doesn't know anything about art, but he knows that Pam is important to him. He was just being himself - and he was genuinely impressed with Pam's art. That really did mean the world to her.


Leaders need to take a page out of Michael Scott's book at be genuine with their followers. When leaders are themselves and are genuine - followers will respect and appreciate that. Even if leaders might be considered dumb or unprofessional, they need to be genuine. People matter. Perceptions do not. Leaders need to not be afraid of being dumb if that interferes with their ability to be genuine.


So if you want to be a relevant leader - be genuine with your followers. Even if it makes you look dumb or whatever - be genuine with your followers.

The Dichotomy of Michael Scott

The Office has become a television sensation both in Britain and in the United States. Its subtle comedy and personable characters have made it both a general favorite and garnered a cult following. I know that I have snorted and laughed countless times watching the exploits of Regional Manager Michael Scott and his band of interesting employees. But the show is actually more than just a comedy. It actually reveals how to be an extremely relevant leader. How? Through the dichotomy of Michael Scott.

The dichotomy of Michael Scott? What in the world is that? Well, everyone knows that Michael Scott has certain personality and leadership traits that are not very good. He is clingy, annoying, dumb, and much more. He does so many things that would be considered mistakes in the real world. And yet these same traits and mistakes have advantages as well as disadvantages. There are two sides to everything that Michael Scott does - a good side and a bad side. This is the dichotomy of Michael Scott.

The next few blog posts will go into more detail about the Dichotomy of Michael Scott. They will explore certain aspects of his personality and actions that are two-sided - a good side and a bad side. The bad side is very funny and makes for a great show, but the good side is actually a great representation of relevant leadership.

Indeed, Michael Scott can show us more about relevant leadership than most professional business books out there.

Get ready to explore the Dichotomy of Michael Scott.