Today may be set aside for many residents of the UAE to celebrate Christmas, and for me, the occasion got me wondering whether there are any leadership lessons that can be gleaned from it.
Are you the strongest link?
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As a kid, on Christmas morning my sisters and I woke before the sun rose. Then we waited - and waited - until we could not contain the excitement anymore and took the daring step of waking our parents .
Once Mum and Dad were up and about, the Weir Christmas traditions set in. We lined up at the top of the steps in order of our age. (Unfortunately, I was the youngest, so I was always last in line). Then we sprang down the steps to see what special gifts we had received. Every year, Christmas Day followed the same pattern from waking early with excitement through to a big family lunch.
As I reflect back on those years, I am surprised by how few of the gifts I remember, but how meaningful the traditions were.
And it was some of those Weir family traditions, rather than Christmas itself I have concluded, that have taught me certain leadership lessons.
Like employees, we kids found comfort in knowing what to expect. We may not have liked having to wait until our parents woke up and gave us permission to head downstairs. But as I reflect back, this brought a level of comfort that resulted in security. The consistency in the tradition gave a sense of everything being OK.
What do you think this would look like in the workplace?
Employees typically perform better when they know what to expect. They want their boss to remove ambiguity and provide clarity of what is expected and of what to expect. Bipolar leaders, or those who regularly change their focus, provide frustration.
The traditions of my past were also full of anticipation; looking forward to something exciting. I wonder how many employees look forward to work with anticipation. I doubt it is at the same level of anticipation that a holiday brings.
But is there any anticipation at all?
To test this theory, try to think of the different places where you have worked and ask: "What is it about each that I remember?" When I answered, I realised it certainly was not the pay cheque. It was the way I felt about where I worked. It was the memories.
Traditions matter because they create positive memories. And as a leader, if you work to create positive memories on a daily or weekly basis for your employees and not just for you, then you will have a loyal workforce that is willing to put their hearts into the hours. Try creating a tradition by the way you lead.
Tommy Weir is an authority on fast-growth and emerging-market leadership, author of The CEO Shift and the managing director of the Emerging Market Leadership Center