The 3 Types of Santa: Lessons on Leadership & Personal Success

One summer day while paying my way through college as a server at a national chain restaurant, I met a customer who looked just like Santa Claus, minus the suit.

I couldn't help myself.

"Sir," I said, "if I didn't know any better, I swear you could easily pass for..."

He quickly interrupted with: "Santa Claus!" in a jolly deep voice and a smile as though he was letting me in on a little secret. "Maybe I am," he continued with a wink while also handing me his business card.

He was a professional Santa Claus.

He was so good and so "on" that for a moment I questioned everything I thought I knew about Santa. All this time...was he real after all?? I sincerely questioned everything.

His beard was full, crisp, and bright. His glasses, wire-rimmed and nestled on his nose, reading the menu as if he were checking his list twice before he ordered. I could only imagine how perfect his suit would be should he have worn it that mid-summer day.

This man was committed.

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder what this man looked like at 20 years old. I pictured some dude in the gym, pumping iron, drinking protein shakes - the perfect college bro who later in life found a great partner, got married, and then one day said, "Hunny, I think I'm going to gain some weight, grow my beard out, and become Santa." That's quite a metamorphosis, yet entirely necessary for achieving the vision.

His success was based on two simple things: 1.) The decision to become Santa and 2.) the attitude to Go All In. The rest takes care of itself. How good he would be and how much we "buy into" his job performance is determined by our willingness to believe in him and the extent of his commitment. Yet, our willingness to believe in him doesn't begin with us, it actually begins with him.

Being Santa Claus is a huge responsibility in our society. The character represents a spirit of giving, kindness to all, innocence, and above all else, we can trust him with our children. We even allow him into our homes while we sleep. That's a tall order!

The shift in personal identity to become this man has to be enormous and this man in the restaurant went "Full Santa." He went ALL IN. If my child ran up to this man, even on his day off and with wearing Bermuda shorts, I'd still be OK with it because I trust that he's going to do the job and execute flawlessly.

This commitment - going ALL IN - is what people expect from leaders.

Of all the 900,000 books on leadership, it really comes down to one simple philosophy: leave everything and everyone better than when you found it. This philosophy builds deep trust, confidence in working with you, and exudes character and integrity. When you go all in, your ability to influence and execute in any role is endless. It's "Full Santa," baby. And it's rare, and because it's rare, it's valuable.

The more I thought about "Full Santa" the more I realized there is more than one type of Santa. There are two distinct others, and we know them well.

The next type is the Average Santa.

"Average Santa" is the guy who can play the part well enough to get the job done. There's some commitment there, but it's not always pretty. This Santa may have a real beard but doesn't take the time to ensure it's well-kept and uniform in color. His glasses are probably those he'd wear any day of the week. He has plans to go bowling tonight, so don't take up too much of his time when quitin' time comes. He's simply "good enough." If your child approached him outside of the mall, there wouldn't be enough trust there to let your kid sit on his lap. You'd pay $10 for a picture, maybe, then wonder why you do this every year.

Lastly, there's the "Accidental Santa." This Santa does it because it's a job and he somehow ended up in that role, although the path is hazy at best. There's enough commitment to get dressed up, but maybe not really show up; it's clear that most of the time he's faking it. As far as trust goes, forget about it. You wouldn't let your kid get near him.

Here's the Question:

How many "Accidental and Average Santas" are you surrounded by? How many work on your team? How many show up every day and are mostly in the way of progress and success rather than supporting the mission that you are trying to achieve together?

People talk about "leadership" all of the time, but they make it too complicated. It doesn't have to be about your position in the organization, your age, or solely based on your technical capability. When you leave everything and everyone better than when you found it, you can make a contribution of significance from any level.

No matter what you're position in your organization, remember, when it comes to demonstrating leadership, there's nothing more attractive than demonstrating commitment. Just ask Mrs. Claus. That dude in the gym's got nothing on her jolly old elf.

Kevin Smith is a professional speaker for both business and higher education, a business and personal coach, and Senior Director of Executive Education & Strategic Partnerships at The University of Akron College of Business Administration, a Top 40 Nationally ranked & Globally Recognized Public Business School.