The Santa Claus Leadership System
Santa Claus asks, “What do you want?”
Leaders get further when they know what the people around them want and do their best to give it.
Generosity assumes you know what others want. Hot dogs in a vegetarian’s Christmas stocking might be funny, but it’s not generous.
Recipients define generosity.
The system:
The wants of others drive Santa’s interactions. Every interaction with Santa fits a simple five step system.
- What is your name?
- What do you want?
- Have you been a good girl or boy?
- Would you like a candy cane?
- Merry Christmas.
Santa’s system applied:
- Care about people as individuals.
- Express interest in what others want. What would change about you and your organization if you actively asked, “What do you want?”
- Explore and evaluate performance.
- Give honor, gratitude, and rewards.
- Maintain optimism. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Don’t allow your needs to blind you to the wants of others.
You need things like results, profits, sales, increased numbers, and solutions. Those needs never go away. But…
Successful leaders ask, “What do you want?”
You can’t lead until you know what others want.
What leadership lessons does Santa Claus teach?
What’s troubling about asking, “What do you want?”
Sometimes I hate how good you are at this writing stuff. Bah-humbug.
Irony aside, this is great. Lets start a new set of those rubber braclets that says WWSD (What Would Santa Do). I’m going to share these 5 steps with my 4 year old and see what he thinks. I’ll follow up with his reaction.
Thanks James. When I read WWSD, I think, dang I wish I thought of that. 🙂
My son’s been working at the mall with Santa. It’s getting hairy. No leader is perfect 😉
🙂 What an interesting gig for a young man!
Well, the really funny part is that he also was the Easter Bunny’s helper… and one day the Easter Bunny was sick, so Be who is 6 ft. 3, stepped in and borrowed the Easter Bunny’s clothes… which consisted of a skirt and apron….learning an important leadership lesson, sometimes you just have to pitch in and be a good sport
As a bonus when leaders ask, “What do you want?” they may find talents they never anticipated and weren’t even looking for. If they think like Santa and welcome those talents and encourage them, everyone will win.
For decades I was a teacher who liked to also speak and write. I found the people in the middle of the organization were always nervous about what I would write. Why? I have no idea. I love to write inspiring stories about teaching and meeting the needs of students in creative ways.
However, the people at the top of the district loved to see my published stories as it shed good light on their district.
They didn’t hire a speaker or a writer, they hired a teacher. Sometimes we have to welcome talents we weren’t looking for. I wish someone had asked me. “Dauna, what do you want?” Here’s what I would have answered. “I want to use my communication skills to teach, encourage and inspire as many other people as I possibly can.”
I would have thought that we’d have the pleasure of seeing you under the Santa costume up there on this post 😉 Happy Holidays to you and Merry Thank You for your great posts ! Lx
Generocity of any type be it monetary, a personal gift, or simply your time and effort, is, and will always be, determined and evaluated by the recipiant, ‘not you’. When we ‘REALLY’ want to help or lend assistance to others, you need to know what they need, ‘not’ what we think they need. Generocity comes in all shapes and forms but is not exclusive to only those facing challenges and advercity. Leaders are in a position to display generocity, (or the lack thereof) daily. Generocity given, invites generocity in return, (we reap what we sow). Again, true generocity/giving requires getting to know your people as well as thier needs and concerns. If we expect exceptional effort from our employee’s, we as leaders must give exceptional effort to getting to know our employee’s. Autocratic, self absorbed, ego driven leaders beleive they are the center of the univerce. They feel it’s the subordinates responsability to get to know them, giving little or no concideration to others needs or motivations. If you are that type of leader, do not waste your time wondering why others give you sub-par, or, satisfactory effort at best. Creating a giving workplace culture does not happen by accident. It takes purpose and committment. Positive cultural change is a noble cause, but once YOUR effort stop’s, exspect others to stop as well.
I’m not quite sure how I should react to this post. I don’t know if I agree with the Santa analogy or not. What do you want and what do you need are two questions business owners have to ask and know the answer to in order to have a business and provide for their customers/clients. Sometimes it takes a while to get a good answer. With what I do, people want and need to pass a class or test in order to move on and eventually fulfill their definition of success.
Just wanted to chime in… when I think of the “What do you want?” question, I think back to the movie “Master and Commander” and Captain Jack Aubrey (who I always thought seemed almost the perfect leader).
Whether it was shore leave, extra rations of grog, a good battle, or a firm hand, “Lucky Jack” always knew what his men wanted and – wherever possible – gave it to them. And as a result, they were fiercely loyal to him, even unto death.
A fictional example, for sure 🙂 but I think every truly great leader asks the question “What do you want?” of their people, and is unafraid of the answer, and unafraid to try and help them towards their dreams.
Just my opinion – have a great holiday!
“Like it,Thanks”!!!
Well, Santa generates plenty of oxytocin!!!!
If one goes to the biological process and bypasses verbal Mumbo jumbo success more likely.
There are similarities in ALL
interactions.
Santa got a note from each kid finding out what was important to them.
Santa gives what was on the note, oxytocin released.
Give Johnny a pony and Suzie a pink vermont teddy bear. Both kids happy, different items released oxytocin.
Seems Santa is a smart Dude cause he knows asking what each kid wanted or needed and giving that to them released the oxytocin.
Dummies would just give everyone a pony and wonder why everyone was not happy. One size don’t fit all.
That took TIME first. To find out what each wanted and then giving it to them.
Santa understood the biology of creating happiness and if he continues using the knowledge of the biology he won’t ever give people what he thinks they want. He will know what they want.
Giving ones time is the delio.
Just like my opinion man.
What’s troubling is if I ask and follow through I find asking without following through is worthless.
And truly giving takes sacrifice. Then I find out if I am a genuine Dude or someone just trying to look good.
Talk cheap, actions cost my time and very valuable. It is why people know I am genuine when I give them my time.
The Dude Abides
SP back to generating oxytocin
Occasionally, we (leaders) need to simply place the odd-ball team member in front. Give them a chance to fly. Santa did this with Rudolph!
Thats great advcice Brent. Sometimes you never know who you got sit’n on the bench till your starter goes down!!!!
While I do ask the question, my fear is they’ll be disappointed or even disenfranchised, if I can’t give it! Sometimes that concern hinders me from asking, “what do you want?”
“What do you want?” or ” What can you contribute?”
Nice try, Dan, but not everything fits the Leadership-mould.
Merry X-mas and best wishes for a wonderfull 2014.
Santa works year-round and around the clock to keep his Christmas machine running smoothly. Add making time for R&R to the list for effective leadership musts.
Reblogged this on Movers, Shakers, Leadership Makers.
It’s both beautiful, simply brilliant and way too simple at the same time! It ignores the pressure many leaders have, manipulations from lobbyists, ambitious employees, customers looking for a ride and over anxious CEO’s protecting the profit. This Santa is great in a motel restaurant. As a president he couldn’t deal with all the different presents that would bite each others agenda’s, and currently the whole system is bust, so he can’t pay for the gifts anyhow. So rewrite for Obama, in a way that makes him safe the budget, stop the NSA where it shouldn’t nose, stop big corporations pollute the see, stop professional lobbyists protecting interest of a happy rich few and make him really listen to those that actually deserve a present and don’t even ask, because they don’t how, where and have lost faith anyway.
Yes, brilliant within its frame, does not mean it really works.