A delivery arrives at the wrong time. A customer account needs attention. An employee is late, and the phone will not stop ringing. For rent-to-own (RTO) leaders, a normal workday can bring plenty of situations competing for their attention, but not all of them are within their control.
That distinction was the focus of Get Out of Your Own Way, an education session at RTO World 2026 led by Paul Metivier, President of Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center, and Kevin Silvers, President of New Generations Diamond & Jewelry Co. Drawing on Mel Robbins’ Let Them Theory and their own RTO experiences, Metivier and Silvers explored a two-part mindset: allow other people to make their choices, then redirect your attention toward what you can do next.
An RTO Leadership Mindset Starts With Yourself
Before leaders can effectively respond to employees and customers, Metivier and Silvers encouraged attendees to examine their own reactions.
The session addressed four internal challenges: stress, concern about other people’s opinions, negative emotions, and comparison. The presenters emphasized becoming more aware of the situations that trigger unproductive reactions and finding ways to reset before those reactions affect the next interaction.
For example, Silvers described how an initial frustration can shape the way a leader views everything that follows. Metivier encouraged attendees to recognize when they are becoming emotionally reactive, create some distance when appropriate, and avoid turning a temporary frustration into unnecessary conflict.
The broader lesson was to distinguish between what someone else chooses to do and what remains within your own control. In the language used throughout the session, “let them” addresses the first part; “let me” redirects attention toward your own response.
Stop Giving Other People’s Opinions Control
Metivier applied that principle to a common challenge: worrying about what other people think.
He argued that fear of judgment can lead people to hesitate, second-guess themselves, or avoid taking action. His RTO example was social media. Metivier said some store managers avoid posting because they are concerned about how they or their content will be perceived. His advice was practical: stop waiting for the perfect post, use proven ideas as a starting point, make them your own, and improve through repetition.
“Let them” in this context means accepting that other people will form their own opinions. “Let me” means returning attention to the actions that align with your goals and responsibilities.
The same approach can apply to comparison. Rather than treating another person’s success as a threat, Metivier encouraged attendees to study what successful people are doing, learn from their methods, and use those lessons to improve their own performance.
Set Expectations Without Trying to Control People
The session then shifted outward to employees, customers, and others whose behavior leaders may want to change.
Metivier emphasized that adults need to feel ownership over their decisions. Leaders can influence behavior, but they cannot simply force another person to change. In the workplace, that makes clear expectations especially important.
For leaders, “letting them” does not mean abandoning standards or accountability. Metivier stressed that managers still establish expectations, communicate required performance, and determine appropriate workplace consequences. The distinction is between establishing those boundaries and trying to control another person’s response to them.
Leaders also need to model the behavior they expect. Metivier shared an example from earlier in his management career when employees told him they did not want his position because they saw how stressed he appeared. The experience made him reconsider what his own behavior was communicating to people who might otherwise aspire to leadership.
Support People Without Solving Everything for Them
The distinction becomes especially important when a previously strong employee begins struggling.
Metivier cautioned leaders against immediately trying to rescue that person or solve every problem on their behalf. Instead, he recommended agreeing on expectations and the behaviors that need to change, reminding employees of their previous successes, and helping them identify the conditions that supported their strongest performance.
Sometimes, Metivier said, the most useful thing a leader can do is simply “show up.” That can mean working alongside someone without immediately directing every action, giving the employee room to work through the problem while knowing support is available.
That idea captures the session’s larger message. RTO leaders cannot control every delivery, customer response, employee emotion, workplace frustration, or unexpected problem. They can decide how they respond, what expectations they communicate, what behavior they model, and where they put their attention.
By separating what belongs to other people from what remains within their own control, leaders can spend less energy trying to manage every reaction and more energy on the actions that can move their teams and businesses forward.
APRO members can watch the full Get Out of Your Own Way session replay for more RTO examples and applications of the Let Them Theory from RTO World 2026.
About Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center
Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center is a rent-to-own dealer and the retail division of Impact Properties. Founded in 2015, the company operates Rent-A-Center franchise locations across multiple states in the southeastern United States, offering furniture, appliances, electronics, and other home essentials through flexible rental-purchase options. Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center has been an APRO member since 2017.
About New Generations Diamond & Jewelry Co.
New Generations Diamond & Jewelry Co. is a jewelry supplier based in East Ridge, Tennessee, serving the rent-to-own industry with a selection of diamond and fine jewelry products. The company provides jewelry products to rent-to-own dealers and their customers. New Generations Diamond & Jewelry Co. has been an APRO member since 2012.
