5 Leadership Lessons From The Christmas Story

It’s almost Christmastime. Wow, has this year flown by!

Christmastime always gives me pause. I find this time of year is an excellent time to reflect on what’s come and what is to come.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s also the end of the year. Only one more week until we’re in a new year.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

I want to talk about Christmas. There’s so much to unpack with Christmas, especially if you’re a Christian.

There’s also a lot to learn about leadership through the Christmas story…

5 Leadership Lessons From Christmas

The Biblical Christmas story can be found in two key pieces of scripture: Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. These Bible passages give us how Christ was born and what it truly means.

From these pieces of scripture, you can find deep leadership meaning if you look.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Equalizer 2

A Reel Leadership Article

Denzel Washington returns as Robert McCall in the Equalizer 2. Robert serves as an avenging angel. He goes after those who prey on the weak and the powerless.

Denzel Washington in The Equalizer 2

When one of his close friends is murdered, he sets out on a mission. He will find the people responsible for Susan Plummer’s (Melissa Leo) death and avenge her.

The Equalizer 2 isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s a lot of profanity. Even more blood and death. Yet there are many leadership lessons in the Equalizer 2.

Let’s check out those leadership lessons in the latest edition of Reel Leadership.

Caution: The Equalizer 2 spoilers below

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Equalizer 2

1. Great leaders confront wrongs:

Robert McCall was a man on a mission. He sought out the aggressors of wrongs. When he found someone doing wrong, he would exact vengeance upon them.

Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Ben-Hur 2016

A Reel Leadership Article

Based on the book Ben-Hur: A Tale Of Christ, Ben-Hur returns to the big screen cinemas.

Over time, the tale of Ben-Hur has been recounted in multiple movies, TV shows, and cartoons. This weekend saw the release of the latest Ben-Hur telling.

 

The 2016 Ben-Hur is brought to us by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. They’ve previously produced The Bible and A.D. The Bible Continues TV mini-series.

Now, they’re tackling the big screen.

The story of Ben-Hur is a sad tale of a thirst for revenge. Judah Ben-Hur is a prince who is accused of treason by his adopted brother. After being sent away as a slave on the sea, he returns to seek revenge against his brother Messala Severus.

All of this happens in the time of Christ. So, we get to see Jesus Christ weave in and out of the story.

Caution: Ben-Hur spoilers ahead

Abnormal Leadership

Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Jesus.

All three were great leaders. Two created stellar companies. One created a movement that has spanned 2,000 years.

What else did these three leaders have in common?

Image by Francisco Huguenin-Virchaux Uhlfelder

They all went about leadership in an unconventional way. They broke from the normal and created a new path.

Richard Branson goes the distance to impress prospective customers. Backstage, before a speaking engagement, he approached Guy Kawasaki and asked him if he flew on Virgin Airlines. When Guy answered no, Richard gets on his knees and starts to polish Guy’s shoes with his jacket.

That’s not normal.

Steve Jobs created a juggernaut of a company with Apple. Coming up with the concepts of the iPod, iPad, etc. The company rose to astronomical heights. And he did it without focus groups. He broke with the conventional thought that you had to listen to your customers. He realized people didn’t know what they wanted until it was in their hands.