- We asked experts from some of the top business schools to tell us what management lessons we can learn from Father Christmas
- Santa exercises various forms of power to effectively manage his team of helpers, including legitimate power, reward power and referent power. He has a remarkable model of leadership, inspiring productivity, goodwill, and positive behaviour in both his team and the younger generation
- However, if you are an individual who plays the role of Santa in your organisation, consider whether you are doing this for the right reasons, or are you using benefits to distract your employees from larger issues in your organisation
From his impeccable branding – his red, fur-lined coat and hat, and iconic slogan, “ho ho ho!”, are recognised all over the world – to his remarkable time management skills (he’s estimated to visit 536,785,866 children in one night!), it’s clear that Father Christmas is one of the best when it comes to running a successful business.
Father Christmas also benefits from excellent partnerships due to his top-notch relationship-building skills. Other than other toy manufacturers – because he can’t make ALL the toys in one workshop – Father Christmas partners with the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) which has been tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve flights since 1955 to ensure his safe journey.
Most impressive, of course, are the many ways Father Christmas motivates and inspires his staff at the workshop. Santa’s elves always score the workshop highly on glassdoor.com and it has consistently been voted one of the best workplaces in the world.
So, what is Kris Kringle doing right? We asked experts from some of the top business schools to give us the answers.
‘Santa exercises various forms of power to manage his team of helpers’
To better understand Santa Claus’s effective leadership style, we must first apply the analysis of power by social psychologists French and Raven, says Dr Patrick LÊ, Associate Professor of Management at NEOMA Business School.
In his workshop, Santa exercises various forms of power to effectively manage his team of helpers:
- Legitimate power: Power derived from a person’s position. “Father Christmas commands respect and authority, efficiently directing his team of elves and reindeer.”
- Reward power: The ability to offer incentives in exchange for compliance. “This incentivizes productivity, as the promise of sweets motivates the elves to strive for excellence.”
- Referent power: Power derived from the admiration people have for someone. “This emanates from his warm persona, inspires dedication and commitment among his helpers.”
Santa’s leadership also extends to children. “Leveraging reward power, he guides their behaviour by emphasising the importance of kindness and good conduct as prerequisites for receiving gifts,” he said.
“At the same time, Santa Claus keeps a record of children’s behaviour throughout the year, distinguishing between “naughty” and “nice” behaviour, suggesting a form of coercive power – the threat of punishment to influence others – as children who do not behave well may not receive what they wished for.
“Beyond this reward/punishment system, it is above all through his embodiment of values through referent power that he encourages children to emulate his caring and generous nature, fostering positive virtues in their lives by acting as a role model.”
So, what lessons can we learn from Father Christmas’s leadership style? “His ability to balance and wield the different powers effectively serves as a remarkable model of leadership, inspiring productivity, goodwill, and positive behaviour in both his team and the younger generation.
“While Santa’s ‘naughty-or-nice’ vibes might seem a bit sneaky, think of it more as a gentle nudge to help us steer clear of mischief. Who wouldn’t want extra presents, right?”
‘Father Christmas shows that we must manage businesses to become a force for good’
To Martyna Sliwa, Professor of Business Ethics and Organisation Studies at Durham University Business School, Father Christmas serves as an allegorical figure symbolising the festive season.
“Father Christmas reminds us of the importance of hope and generosity; of the time spent with family and friends; and of supporting those who have less than us,” she said. “Father Christmas teaches us that we need to manage businesses and other organisations so they become a force for good, and contribute to building a better world.”
In practice, this means promoting organisational cultures based on the values of kindness, compassion and support. This could be by ensuring that everybody in the organisation can achieve a satisfying work-life balance, or by sharing organisational prosperity with stakeholders, from sponsorship to charitable activities. It could be by instilling confidence in your employees that their hard work is going to be appropriately rewarded, explained Dr Sliwa.
‘The organisational culture in the Santa Claus Village is based on trust and openness’
In Finland, Santa Claus is often called Joulupukki, translating as ‘Christmas goat’. Traditionally in Finland, the Joulupukki was a scary Yule goat who asked people for presents. Over time, however, he became the beloved, jolly human figure who gives gifts and leaves a lump of coal for bad children.
“The Joulupukki works and leads his team in a way that is a prime example of Nordic leadership,” said Saara Bange, Director, Customised Design & Partnerships, and Team Lead at Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development. “The organisational culture in the Santa Claus Village is based on trust and openness. All elves feel safe to voice their opinions and try out new things without the fear of being judged and mitigated. In such a safe work environment, there’s space for creativity and critical thinking.”
The Joulupukki and his helpers are also very customer-orientated. “The elves carefully listen to their customers – children and their parents – not just before Christmas, but all year round, gathering information about their needs and wishes. This way they make sure that Santa delivers what is expected and truly responds to his customers’ needs,” said Dr Bange.
Business leaders can also learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace: “Diversity and inclusion are very important values in the Santa Claus Village. Santa supports its team members in their personal growth and gives each team member responsibilities that match their personalities and individual strengths. Rudolph is of course a great example of this! This reflects the way Santa sees his customers today: there are no bad kids, there are just different kinds of kids.”
“Recently, the Santa Claus Village has updated its values, which are happiness, togetherness, and responsibility. The team truly lives according to its values: Christmas presents need to bring joy, and emphasise the importance of time spent together with loved ones. Second-hand presents and presents made of recycled materials are becoming increasingly popular.”
‘You might desire to be recognised as a benevolent Santa-like figure in your company’
Santa Claus is a beloved figure in our society, bringing joy to individuals around the world, delivering presents and putting smiles on their faces.
Consider your role in your company. Do you also aim to play the role of Santa Claus, bringing happiness, gifts and special moments to your employees? asks Jean-Baptiste Suquet, Professor of People and Organisations at NEOMA Business School. If so, consider whether you are doing this for the right reasons, or are you using benefits to distract your employees from larger issues in your organisation.
The closest figure an organisation has to Santa Claus is the Chief Happiness Officer (CHO). The CHO is tasked with bringing joy to colleagues by organising after-work events and even Christmas parties at the office. “He certainly checks all the boxes. However, if we consider the term “after-work” in the context of workplace quality, it becomes rather ironic. Are you truly improving workplace quality by entertaining people when they are no longer working?” he said.
“Does playing Santa Claus imply that we should temporarily forget about the day-to-day operations of our organisations and the often-challenging conditions in which we perform our jobs? As a manager, do you still believe that getting dressed up as Santa is an effective way to gain the recognition of your employees?” says Dr Suquent.
Whether you call him Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Joulupukki, or Kris Kringle, he’s a role model for children and business leaders alike. Going into the next year, consider the management lessons we can take from this beloved figure and try to implement a bit of Christmas spirit into your day-to-day leadership.
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