As the holiday season quickly approaches, we become wrapped up in buying gifts, prepping the house, and staying up-to-date with ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas movie marathon, all while trying to meet deadlines at work. Unfortunately, the most exciting time of the year can be difficult to balance and as a result, our leadership tends to slack.
On the list of classic holiday movies is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a movie that brings joy to adults, children, and families all across the globe. In the story, Rudolph is considered an outcast and constantly excluded from participating in activities with the other reindeer. That is until one night, when Rudolph steps up as a leader and takes the initiative. Rudolph may just be a fictional character in a holiday cartoon, but there are many leadership lessons that we can learn from the red-nosed reindeer:
Utilize Your Strengths– Employees come from diverse backgrounds with different strengths and weaknesses. Throughout an organization, employees are strategically placed to create balance within departments. In the beginning, Rudolph’s red nose was considered to be a weakness that dragged his other teammates down. In the end, Rudolph was able to convert his weakness into a strength that the entire team depended on.
Communication and Collaboration- Employees are an organization’s most valuable asset, but if the employees do not work together, little will be accomplished. In many instances, asking employees to complete a variety of different projects all at once is not always effective. Some employees need a little more direction and require different methods of teaching. In Rudolph’s case, he realized that the other reindeer were unable to navigate through the foggy night sky. He came together with the other reindeer to figure out the best solution in leading the sleigh through the night.
Take a Risk- Trying new things can be scary and intimidating, but when a new opportunity arises, become informed about this new chance and listen to the benefits. We often fall into a comfort zone that holds us back from reaching our full potential. Rudolph saw leading the sleigh as an opportunity and instead of sitting back in his normal position as the worthless reindeer, he took the initiative. By acting on this opportunity, the once unappreciated reindeer received endless fame and glory.
Even though Rudolph was originally ridiculed and ignored by the other reindeer, he had the courage to step up and lead the team to victory during a demanding time. Without Rudolph, the entire team would have failed and many people would’ve been very disappointed. Remember these valuable leadership lessons during this holiday season as you work hard to complete projects before the New Year.
This DATIS Blog was written by Ally Edwards, DATIS, on December 9th, 2015 and may not be re-posted without permission.