Santa Claus as Thought Leader

Maybe it’s because he’s been around so long, but Santa Claus rarely gets his due as a pioneering thought leader.

That’s a real shame, because Claus’ innovative -- often unorthodox –strategies and best practices carry with them lessons for leaders at any organization. Consider these areas in which Claus broke new ground:

Home delivery: Jeff Bezos likely won’t admit it, but it’s all but certain that Claus’ delivery model served as the inspiration for Amazon, particularly the company’s recent efforts to incorporate drone technology. Still, Claus’ ingenious chimney strategy and perfect on-time track record will never be duplicated.

Incentive programs: Claus’ naughty-nice approach is the gold standard for customer incentive programs, both for its simplicity and its power to influence customer behavior. We would note that the tagline that urges being good “for goodness sake” could use a refresh to something more concrete and motivational – and in 2020 there’s no shame in pouting or crying.

Employee engagement: The Elf workforce is a marvel of efficiency and productivity. True, there’s been limited transparency regarding working conditions, yet the fact there’s been no concerted movement to unionize the workshop indicates that elves are largely satisfied and engaged. Turnover historically has been low, with the notable exception of Hermie, the elf who opted for a mid-career shift to dentistry.

Energy efficient: Airlines could learn a few things from the master. With the exception of some nominal methane emissions, the reindeer team’s environmental footprint is unmatched in the transportation space.

Charitable giving: Claus’ most enduring legacy is that of selfless giving. For centuries he’s been an inspiration for people worldwide to think of others before themselves. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

And speaking of gratitude, here at Turn Two we wanted to express our appreciation to our clients and readers of Thought Leadership Weekly.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a better year ahead.