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 clarity 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 LEADERSHIP & 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 virtues like kindness, caring, and generosity.
Wishing you the best of the Holiday Season and in the New Year.
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT
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