[Article & Audio] Rudolph: Misfit Reindeer or Leadership Guru?
Rudolph: Misfit Reindeer or Leadership Guru?
When it's that time of year, if you’re anything like me, there are some old-school shows you simply HAVE to watch or it’s just not a proper holiday season.
I have a thing for Animagic, with its labor-intensive, stop-motion figures that you can’t help but fall in love with, and one of the best, in my opinion, is the 1964 holiday classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
How could anyone not love Rudolph? He’s the ultimate misfit underdog who finds a way to use his “flaw” to save the day. But what can our buddy Rudolph show you about how to be a great leader?
Misfits can fit in... you just have to find the right place.
Rudolph promised that he and Santa Claus would return to the Island of Misfit Toys and find them all homes, and he made good on his promise (at least from 1965 onward).
If you have team members who just don’t quite seem to fit in, it might not be because they’re causing problems on purpose; it might be because they’re in the wrong place or the wrong position.
One way you can solve this problem is to know how each of your team members prefers to work, by having them take the Kolbe-A Index, so you can make sure everyone is put in the right position and tasked with the work that they’re best suited for.
Be yourself.
For the Reindeer Games, Rudolph covered his shiny red nose with a fake black one so he’d blend in with the rest of the fawns… but unluckily for him, the nose popped off and everyone saw his real nose for what it was. (Happily, pretty Clarice still thought he was cute!)
When you’re the buck or doe in charge, there’s a time and place for keeping a stiff upper lip, but sometimes you also need to let the people you work with know that you’re human. Let them see the occasional flaw, let them in on how you make that flaw work for you, and you’ll inspire them to do the same.
When you’re the buck or doe in charge, there’s a time and place for keeping a stiff upper lip, but sometimes you also need to let the people you work with know that you’re human. Let them see the occasional flaw, let them in on how you make that flaw work for you, and you’ll inspire them to do the same.
Shine the light that leads the way.
Santa nearly had to cancel Christmas that year because of the fog, but of course our hero Rudolph turned his nose up to its brightest and saved the day.
When your team or business is having a tough time navigating through bad weather, it’s up to you as the leader to become the guiding light, so put all of your abilities on full power and get to it!
When your team or business is having a tough time navigating through bad weather, it’s up to you as the leader to become the guiding light, so put all of your abilities on full power and get to it!
About the Author
✈✈Gina Longo is a former airline captain and flight instructor who flew as pilot in command on 3000+ flights and carried more than 75,000 people (and many pets) safely to their destinations. She then moved to Great Britain to instruct corporate pilots, later spending three years as an international solo traveller.
As a leadership development trainer and the creator of The Calmfident Leadership® System, Gina specializes in helping businesses reduce employee turnover by improving leadership skills, so bad bosses don't drive away good employees.
Her great love is German Shepherds, and as a proud U.S. Air Force brat, she tends to answer the question "Where are you from?" with an enigmatic "It depends."
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