I love to look at the world around me and glean leadership lessons to inspire myself and others to rise to our calling. It’s Christmas. In years past, I’ve drawn leadership lessons from pop culture movies. If you are in the mood for that, please check out my series on Elf.

Some of you read the title and guessed that I’d be writing about Ralphie from the movie, A Christmas Story. But this isn’t about “a” Christmas story, but “the” Christmas story. Earlier this year, on Good Friday, I shared more about my faith than I ever had before on this platform. I decided it would be good to do it again.

This time of year, Christians gather in churches around the world to reflect on the spiritual lessons from the Christmas story. Staying true to form, this article will explore the leadership lessons.

Mary

Mary was a young humble woman, betrothed to Joseph, when she became pregnant with Jesus, miraculously by the Holy Spirit. While Mary was faithful and honorable, her circumstances subjected her to public disgrace and humiliation.

It’s hard for me to imagine what that must have been like for her. Scripture tells us that Mary found refuge with her relative, Elizabeth. After his initial disbelief, Joseph believed her because he had been instructed by an angel in a dream. Beyond Elizabeth and Joseph, Mary was probably ostracized by her community.

The journey of a leader can sometimes be like this. Most of the time, our acts of leadership result in popularity and praise from the community and those we lead. However, occasionally, we may find ourselves in a situation that makes us intensely unpopular and isolated. Yet, true to our convictions, we must proceed undeterred. The good news is, we are never completely alone. God is with us, and he will surround us with a few trusted companions.

The manger scene

The King of Kings was born in a barn and slept in a feeding trough. The nativity seems picturesque in our mind’s eye, but it’s helpful to know what this really was like. God clearly went out of his way to bring his Son into the world in the humblest circumstances imaginable.

We often think about our own leadership potential based on where we came from. Did you come from money? Did you hang out at the country club? Did you go to prep school? Did you graduate from a prestigious university? If the answer is “no” to all the above, you aren’t disqualified from leadership. The manger scene sets the bar so incredibly low, that all of us come from a better starting point than Jesus.

Humble beginnings don’t disqualify you from leadership. In fact, in God’s Kingdom, humble beginnings very well may be an advantage.

The shepherds

The first to get the news of Jesus’ birth were some shepherds in a nearby field. At the time, shepherding was a lowly, undesirable profession. These people had no social status or authority. Yet, they were the ones who got the invitation from the angels to bear witness to Jesus’ birth, and then spread the good news.

As leaders, we often give our attention to key people with influence. We invest in relationships that have strategic advantages. We engage in politics to help us advance our objectives. In the Christmas story, God’s first priority is the lowest of the low.

Why? Because people matter. All people are inherently valuable, regardless of what they can do for the cause. As a leader, I do my best to remember that. I try to make time for people because they are people, not because of what they can do for me.

The Magi and King Herod

The Magi (or wise men) were foreigners who came on a long journey from the East to worship Jesus. These men had great wealth, influence, and wisdom. They weren’t Jewish, yet they worshiped the King of the Jews.

The only person in the Christmas story with a formal leadership role is King Herod. Unfortunately, he’s the worst example of leadership. When he heard about the birth of the King from the Magi, he was disturbed and confused. He responded with deception and violence.

The people with the best resources, knowledge, and location to participate in the Christmas story missed it. Those from a faraway land made the journey and got it.

This Christmas, let’s be more like the Magi, and less like Herod. The Magi invested their vast resources and considerable time in a worthy goal: the worship of Jesus. The best goals will take a while and will cost us a lot. Stay the course.

Christmas Time

Christmas is filled with traditions, family time, gift-giving, and if we’re lucky, a little personal reflection. Let’s take just a moment to pause and reflect on how the Christmas story should influence how we lead in our jobs.

• Have you been humiliated and isolated? Stay true. God will see you through this difficult time.
• Did you come from nothing with no advantages? That’s a fantastic starting point for servant leadership.
• Have you paid attention to the nobodies in your life? They are people and they matter. Give them your time and attention.
• Have you identified a goal that’s worth everything? Make the investment and stay the course.
• Feeling threatened and confused? Settle down. Don’t be that guy.

Those are my leadership lessons from the Christmas story. I hope you all have a joyous Christmas celebration with your loved ones.

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