Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of performance through strong human relations, team building, and goalajiving. This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovledo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast. It's episode five point fifty five. Today we're stepping into a Christmas classic that every leader knows, but few leaders study in the right way. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge
is more than a holiday tale. It's a full masterclass in transformation, accountability, emotional intelligence, and the courage to change the ending of your own leadership story. So settle in because this one is fun, a little nostalgic, and packed with things you can use the moment this episode ends. Picture Scrooge at the start of the story. He is respected, but not admired. He is efficient but not trusted. He
is surrounded by people but deeply disconnected. There are hundreds of Scrooges in workplaces everywhere, and some of them sit in leadership offices. The power of this story is that you get to see what most leaders never get, a clear look at how your past behavior shaped your culture, how your present behavior affects your team, and how your future behavior determines whether people celebrate your leadership or quietly hope you retire early. Now, imagine your own leadership being
visited by those same three spirits. The ghost of leadership passed shows you the moments you would rather skip, the times you spoke too sharply, the days you dismissed new ideas because you were tired, The times you didn't slow down enough to hear the weight behind someone's words. Scrooge gets a front row seat to the moments that shaped how people view him. Leaders rarely take the time to do this kind of reflection, So during this season, take
ten minutes in replay your year. Identify one moment you know that you mishandled. Don't get stuck there. Identify it so you can correct it. Then the ghost of leadership present steps forward. It shows you the ripple effect of your actions right now. In the story, Scrooge sees his employee Bob Cratchett, struggling while still trying to give his family a meaningful Christmas. Leaders today have people on their teams who are fighting battles that they don't talk about.
Your tone, your presence, and your attitude shape their day more than you realize. Ask yourself a question Scrooge never asked, How do people feel after they interact with you? Lift it up, weighed down or neutral? If you do this honestly, you will see a few places where a small change would make a big difference. And finally, the ghost of leadership yet to come arrives. This part of the story
has always been the real wake up call. Scrooge gets a view of what his life looks like if nothing changes. Leaders rarely get this ghostly preview. There's a version of the future where your people are loyal, energized, and proud to be connected to your name. There is another version where they simply move on because they felt unseen, unheard, or unvalued. Every day you choose which version you were writing. Here is what makes this story so powerful. Scrooge does
not debate, delay, or defend. He wakes up and decides to change the ending. That is the part leaders should study. Change can happen, asked when the motivation is real. If you want to apply his transformation in your leadership this week, here are a few Christmas themed moves that actually work. Write one handwritten note to someone on your team before Christmas. One sentence is enough, thank them for a moment they thought you didn't notice. They will remember that longer than
any email that you've ever sent them. Do one thing that removes pressure from someone else. Scrooge bought a turkey for the Cratchet family. You can take a task off someone's plate, approve a request, or give someone time back in their day. Plan one improvement for yourself before January. Scrooge didn't need a New Year's resolution. He picked a better path and followed it immediately, and you can too,
and then make the upcoming year one simple theme. Be the leader people are grateful for, not the leader that they endure. This time of year always brings a mix of joy, stress, reflection, and hope. Let this story be your reset point. You do not need ghosts to show you the past, present, or future. You only need a willingness to be honest about where you have been in bold about where you want to go. If Scrooge can change in one night, you can change in one decision.
Your team will feel it, your culture will shift in your leadership legacy will look a lot different a year from now. So as you wrap up this episode, take one quiet moment today to ask yourself what your ghost of leadership yet to come would show you if you do not like that future, you absolutely have the power to rewrite it starting tonight. So make this season the turning point you talk about years from now. This has been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and as always, I
thank you for listening. For more Paul fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.