Thank you for listening to the Christmas Edition of the Champion Forum Podcast with Jeff Hancher! In the spirit of Christmas, we’re talking about some of the leadership lessons you can learn from one of the greatest fictional leaders of all time, Santa Claus. We’ll talk about the importance of staffing, listening, and checking your list twice. Plus, you will get to hear the first-ever leadership version of the 12 days of Christmas, sung to you by the Champion Forum team!
Choose your reindeer wisely!
Staffing is your most important responsibility. Invest your time and energy in hiring the right people and promoting those who have leadership qualities. Having a diverse staff will give you an advantage.
Q: How do you feel about working with people who are different than you? Why do you think teams tend to lack diversity? What benefits do you see in having a diverse staff? What kinds of diversity do you feel like your team needs?
Make a list, and check it twice.
What gets measured gets done! Create goals that are specific yet flexible. Part of making sure you accomplish your goals is getting your team to buy-in and maximize the resources available to you.
Q: Did you achieve your goals from last year? Why or why not? How often did you review your goals? What can you do to keep them in front of you this year?
Listen to the elves.
Many leaders make the mistake of believing that they were promoted because they have all the answers. The best leaders know how to listen to their team’s suggestions and take feedback from people on the front lines.
Find out who’s naughty and nice.
Confront performance problems early. Give frequent and specific feedback on how employees are doing, and help them learn from both their mistakes and successes.
Q: Why do you think leaders avoid confronting problems? Describe the last time you received constructive feedback. How did it feel in the moment? Did it help you grow? Why or why not?
Application Activities:
Remember to appreciate your employees this holiday season! They may have received a company gift or attended a corporate holiday party, but don’t underestimate the value of a handwritten note or small gift from you. I know you’re busy, but you will not regret making this investment!
Did you finish your performance reviews? If not, make sure that you give clear feedback during these meetings. Give your employees room to grow and follow up. These meetings are great, but they should never be the first time your employees are hearing about your concerns. If you don’t already, schedule regular check-ins into your 2022 calendar where you can review your employees’ goals and make sure they are on track to meet them.
On a scale of 1-10, how diverse is your staff? I’m not talking about just race or education. You need people with different personalities so that they can come up with solutions you wouldn’t think of on your own. If you are not sure if you have a diverse staff, a great starting point is using a personality profile! If you have a lot of similar personalities in the room, take a look at your personal biases and reflect on how you can make your hiring process more friendly toward people who have different strengths than you.
BONUS: The 12 Days of Leadership Christmas
12 monthly sit-downs
11 introductions
10 minutes daily
9 fewer meetings
8 new ideas
7 bits of feedback
6 focused outcomes
5 books to read
4 encouraging words
3 stretch goals eleven introductions
2 engaging tasks
and expectations stated clearly!
DECEMBER 23, 2021
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