Why Santa Claus is NOT a Good Role Model for Managers

There are lessons to be learned from Santa Claus. Truth is, like most managers, his heart is in the right place. But as a leader, there’s room for improvement.

His performance review system is shallow. Naughty or nice. That’s it? Boys and girls worldwide are expected to perform by standards that really amount to just “good or bad” for the entire year without any feedback or definitions. How naughty was he? Under what circumstances? To whom? How many times was she nice? Was it sincere? Did it have any meaningful results? C’mon, Santa, the kids are in the dark. A little more guidance would go a long way to improving behavior.

His answers to tough questions are condescendingly blunt. “How do reindeer fly, Santa?” “Magic,” he says. “Ho ho ho.” One-word answers to a person who wants a little more explanation, depth or perspective are lame. “Hey, boss, how did we do on that Simmons contract?”  “Great. (Now get back to work.)”  You see where this is going?  Put a little tact in your communication.

He doesn’t help out in the trenches. The great delegator that he is, Old St. Nick lifts nary a finger in the production of the goods he distributes. Elves, toiling for what could be low or no wages (it’s never been discussed), take on all the grunt work, including loading the sleigh. It would be nice if Santa himself put down his pipe once in a while to show the staff that he’s a team player.

He hogs all the credit. One night of hard work and few weeks of taking children’s orders and he’s featured in all the songs, cards, displays and Coco-Cola bottles. Santa Claus is coming to town! The heck with everyone else who made it happen.

He’s mired in tradition. For centuries, the jolly old CEO has run things pretty much the same way. Where’s the innovation? Progress? Growth? Can presents be delivered  more  efficiently? Maybe Santa should team up with Amazon...just saying.  Can the sleigh  be  updated?  How about an easier way to get inside of a home? Maybe Santa can get away with the “if it ain’t broke” model, but you can’t.

He offers no promotional opportunities. It’s all about the star performer Rudolph. Does Prancer have a shot at leading the team? In fact, it might be beneficial if Santa brought an elf or two with him on the big night as part of a coaching and mentorship program.

Santa could learn something about shared leadership by observing a flock of geese. (Check out our blog WHAT GEESE CAN TEACH US ABOUT SHARED LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK)

Seriously, Santa does have one great quality that every manager covets: He can make everyone smile.

How?

That’s magic!

While Mr.Claus may not use the best management practices, the incredible  spirit of Santa embodies some of the greatest human values like kindness, caring and generosity. 

Wishing you the best of the Holiday Season and in the New Year.

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Facilitator and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  

Mobile: 323-855-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, branches, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.