The Christmas Leader

It’s that special time of year—the time for giving and receiving—and because of this, for many of us instead of being “the most wonderful time of the year” it becomes the most stressful time of the year.  Today I’d like to address what I classify as a special Christmas leadership trait as it is rarely if ever spoken about however fits perfectly for this time of year and that is being a gracious receiver. 

In our commercialized world it has become common to expect nothing but the best for gifts.  The bigger, shiner, fancier, and more expensive the gift the better.  In fact, many believe this year’s gift must be better than last year’s otherwise it will be brushed aside and rejected.  This type of attitude kills the giving spirit, causes a ton of unneeded stress, and in the end not only hurts the giver of the gift but also the receiver. 

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, as we grow older we lose the ability to receive gifts graciously with the excitement and wonder we had in our childhood.  Instead of being overjoyed by the generosity of a giver we become annoyed and judgmental toward them.  This lack of appreciation and gratitude in our hearts says a lot about us and who we are as a person. 

As we examine ourselves, if we find that we have become less than gracious receivers the key to our success is in simply observing children.  As we watch closely how a young child receives a gift we will notice their eyes light up with excitement, their movements become nearly uncontrollable with anticipation, and a smile of joy beams bright on their face.  It doesn’t matter what the gifts outward appearance may be or even what is on the inside.  When a child receives a gift, it is received and accepted with much appreciation. 

Children seem to recognize and acknowledge with their excitement and innocence that the giver is giving out of love.  Whether it is something they always wanted or not, the young child never appears disappointed.  They always seem to have a way to accept all gifts with gratitude and grace.  

Most gifts are an act of love and kindness.  Thus, receiving a gift is a wonderful opportunity to build, strengthen, and deepen a relationship.  In fact how we react to gifts given to us this time of year can either help or hurt our ability to build meaningful relationships and become effective leaders.  I imagine all of us will receive a gift that we won’t necessarily care for or like but how we react to it is what the person giving the gift will always remember.   

So I ask all of us, will we brush gifts aside, will we thank all givers, will we acknowledge the thought and love behind the gifts we receive rather than focus solely on the quality of it?  This Holiday Season let us remember that simple gifts come from the heart and that being gracious receivers can and will change our outlook on others and on this season.   As we receive gifts graciously, as little children do, we will strengthen our bonds and become more effective leaders.  Let’s strive to always be gracious receivers!  Merry Christmas!