Rudolph: One of the Great Leaders of All Time!

The holiday season merrily provokes the decking of halls and the jingling of bells. There’s something about Christmas that programs our brains to focus on questionable sweater patterns and multicolored light decorations. Beyond Yuletide carols and roasted chestnuts, the Christmas spirit gives us the chance to tap into the purity and passion of our childhood holiday traditions… and it’s the Christmas spirit that led me right into a great lesson on leadership.

While at a recent speaking engagement for Chevron, the leadership team divided up into several different groups for an exercise. The task was to come together and draw on a sheet of paper a vision of what a “Clear Leader” might look like. One group concluded that the ears are the biggest attribute of a great leader because truly listening is a must-have skill. Another group drew and presented a pair of oversized eyes after agreeing that being a great leader requires great vision, the ability to see around corners. But there was one team that came up with a creative model for leadership and it seems so fitting to share during this holiday season.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was their model of leadership. In fact, during this exercise they labeled him the greatest leader of all time. Before I had a chance to brush off the legitimacy of their idea, they cited seven indisputable and intriguing reasons:

1. Rudolph’s story depicts him stepping up in the face of adversity. Without his willingness to do so, there would have been no leader and no Christmas.

2. Rudolph’s hoofed adventure distinguished him as a beacon of light–clearly identifying him as a leader.

3. Rudolph worked with the team despite his recognition (at least in song) that he was a star.

4. Rudolph surrounded himself with goal-oriented, hard-working reindeer.

5. Rudolph was smart; he was clever enough to survive delivering presents in the South despite having to do so during deer-hunting season!

6. Rudolph always maintained a positive attitude while leading the group.

7. Rudolph embraced his differences and turned them into strengths.

I must admit I was so pleasantly amused by the concepts realized at the Chevron event that I played the Burl Ives Claymation video version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to my young children last week. In doing so, I identified another leading quality of the red-nosed one. Rudolph was driven by great passion.

If you recall, it was not until one of the does who had come to watch the reindeer games told him he was cute that Rudolph had enough motivation to take flight for the first time. Passion drove him to places he wouldn’t have otherwise gone. While Dasher and Blitzen fell into their normal routines, Rudolph’s passion sparked the determination needed to unlock greatness and exceed expectations. All great leaders have passion.

As we enjoy the holiday season, lets hope we also get to enjoy the benefits of being or working with a great leader. Are there any characteristics of Rudolph that stick out to you? Join the conversation today.

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81638 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fblog.success.com%2Frudolph-one-of-the-great-leaders-of-all-time%2FRudolph%3A+One+of+the+Great+Leaders+of+All+Time%212012-12-19+15%3A00%3A25Don+Yaegerhttp%3A%2F%2Fblog.success.com%2F%3Fp%3D8163 to “Rudolph: One of the Great Leaders of All Time!”

1. Great Resilience in Challenging Times | Successology – Success Logic says:

   April 8, 2013 at 11:53 am

   [...] Rudolph: One of the Great Leaders of All Time! The holiday season merrily provokes the decking of halls and the jingling of bells. There’s… [...]

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2. Alestar Edward says:

   January 23, 2013 at 10:23 am

   Rudolph is indeed one of the great leaders of all time. I've watched that movie couple of time and enjoyed. Thanks a lot for writing very entertaining aspects about Rudolph.
   quotes on leaders

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3. Greg says:

   December 30, 2012 at 9:55 am

   Right on Don . .. Great article!

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4. Diane Gold says:

   December 26, 2012 at 6:51 pm

   I like that Rudolph recognized that everyone had potential and were important…even the ones that were labeled as "misfits" by others…another sign of a great leader. He was also courageous and kept his and his team's spirits up, even in the face of danger and hardship…definitely a sign of a great leader.

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5. Jason says:

   December 24, 2012 at 4:55 am

   This was very entertaining and very true. We watched the movie this weekend and these were qualities that escaped my attention. Thanks for pointing them out.

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6. Leadership Qualities – Who Am I? « Little things that Matter – Lalita Raman says:

   December 22, 2012 at 9:35 am

   [...] I couldn’t have found a better summary of the Leadership Qualities in Rudolph and the following 7 points is an extract from  Rudolph: One of the Great Leaders of All Time! [...]

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7. Scott Pierce says:

   December 21, 2012 at 12:50 pm

   Must have Passion in everything we do especially in relationships and in our careers. Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear to everyone.

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8. Alicia Morgan says:

   December 19, 2012 at 6:50 pm

   That was a very good article and an enjoyment to read. We all need to be like Rudolph. Possess leadership qualities in everthing we do. But most important find our passion and hang on to it.

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