LET THEM: What Toyota’s TPS and Mel Robbins’ Viral Theory Teach Us About Leadership and Control

What If Letting Go Is the Ultimate Project Management Hack?

“Control the controllable(s).” It’s a common mantra in project management circles—but what if we’ve taken it too far?

This weekend, I read The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. It’s a short read, but it left a long impact. At first glance, her approach seems tailored to personal boundaries—but when you strip it down, it’s a framework that echoes the strategic discipline of Toyota’s Production System (TPS).

In short: High-performing teams thrive not by controlling people, but by mastering systems— and letting go of everything else.

The Hidden Problem with Over-Control in Project Management

Many project managers confuse micromanagement with risk mitigation. Here’s what that creates:

Decision fatigue: Leaders bottleneck progress by trying to approve every detail.
Team disengagement: Employees feel stripped of ownership and responsibility.
Inefficiency: Meetings, escalations, and endless sign-offs delay delivery.

In TPS, Toyota solved this problem by giving front-line workers ownership. If someone saw a defect, they had the authority to stop the entire production line. No middle manager needed.

Mel Robbins’ theory aligns here. She suggests, “Let them be who they are. Let them believe what they want. Let them act how they feel.”

Translation in project terms: Let teams self-manage within boundaries. Let go of the illusion of control.

Why the “Let Them” Theory Changes the Game for Leaders

Robbins explains that “letting them” doesn’t mean apathy. It means clarity.

“When you let people do what they’re going to do anyway, you stop wasting energy on things you can’t control.”

Toyota’s philosophy mirrors this. They don’t waste time blaming individuals. They fix the system.

Think about these examples:

The Andon Cord in TPS is a physical implementation of “let them.” It says: We trust you to act.

Netflix’s “No Brilliant Jerks” policy lets people leave if they can’t align with the culture. They don’t control—they filter.

Mel’s insight and TPS both prioritize psychological safety, systems thinking, and radical trust.

How to Apply “Let Them” Thinking in Project Management

Want to apply these principles to your projects? Here’s how:

Implement Empowerment Protocols
Give team members authority to stop a process if something seems wrong—just like Toyota’s Andon cord.
Define Guardrails, Not Gates
Instead of endless approvals, define non-negotiables and let teams operate freely within them.
Shift from Blame to Systemic Thinking
If something goes wrong, fix the workflow—not the person.
Audit for Control Creep
Ask: “What am I trying to control that’s actually outside my domain?” If it’s someone’s attitude, behavior, or beliefs—let them.
Create Feedback Loops, Not Command Chains
Empower peer-to-peer feedback rather than top-down correction.

According to The Scrum Guide (Schwaber & Sutherland, 2020), the most successful teams are self-organizing. The “let them” mindset is a prerequisite for that to happen.

Conclusion: The Hidden Power of Letting Go

Project management isn’t about control—it’s about flow.

Toyota understood this. Robbins echoes it. The most powerful leaders don’t obsess over every detail—they create systems that allow great work to happen, and then… let it.

So next time your instinct is to intervene, pause and ask yourself:

“What would happen if I just let them?”

The answer might just be higher productivity, greater innovation, and a healthier team.