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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building and GOLAJV. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovledo.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>It's episode five point fifty seven. Today we're stepping inside

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<v Speaker 2>a place you have never heard discussed in any leadership book,

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<v Speaker 2>The Reindeer Barn, the place where the real engine of

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<v Speaker 2>Christmas lives. This is a story about high performers, the

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<v Speaker 2>ones who carry the load all year while everyone else

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<v Speaker 2>celebrates the big moment. Every leader has a version of

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<v Speaker 2>this team. You know exactly who I'm talking about, the reliable, durable,

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<v Speaker 2>quietly brilliant people who keep the operation moving while others

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<v Speaker 2>take the spotlight. Picture the barn on December twenty third,

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<v Speaker 2>the sleigh teams are being checked, harnesses lined up, flight

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<v Speaker 2>plans reviewed, wind patterns logged. The crew was calm because

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<v Speaker 2>they've trained for this moment all year. The reindeer that

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<v Speaker 2>lead the sleigh are not the ones who talk the

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<v Speaker 2>loudest in meetings. They are the ones who show up, ready,

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<v Speaker 2>steady and focused every single day. You know these people

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<v Speaker 2>in your world too. They never complain, They never cut corners,

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<v Speaker 2>they never look for a short cut. They carry the

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<v Speaker 2>extra weight because that is who they are. Here is

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<v Speaker 2>where leaders stumble. High performers create an illusion. They make

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<v Speaker 2>the hard look easy, They make chaos look controlled. They

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<v Speaker 2>make gaps in your organization disappear because they fill them

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<v Speaker 2>without being asked. That illusion blinds leaders. It creates a

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<v Speaker 2>dangerous belief that these people require less attention and less

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<v Speaker 2>support because everything always seems fine, and that couldn't be

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<v Speaker 2>further from the truth. The Reindeer Barn teaches a lesson

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<v Speaker 2>that every leader needs right now. High performers do not

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<v Speaker 2>need more pressure. They need more protection. They need someone

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<v Speaker 2>checking their harness before the flight, making sure the load

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<v Speaker 2>they carry is evenly distributed, someone reminding them that their

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<v Speaker 2>strengths are seen and valued. When leaders miss this, high

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<v Speaker 2>performers burn out quietly. They do not wave a flag.

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<v Speaker 2>They pull the sleigh until the moment they can't, and

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<v Speaker 2>then the entire mission fails without warning. So how do

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<v Speaker 2>you lead the people who carry the load. The first

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<v Speaker 2>move is simple, make their invisible work visible. Look at

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<v Speaker 2>everything they handle that no one else sees. Say it

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<v Speaker 2>out loud, document it, bring it into the open. People

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<v Speaker 2>stay loyal when they feel seen. The second move is

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<v Speaker 2>to rebalance the load. Every high performer has tasks they

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<v Speaker 2>picked up because no one else stepped in. Redistribute some

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<v Speaker 2>of that responsibility, not all of it, enough that they

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<v Speaker 2>can breathe again. Breathing room is not a luxury. It

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<v Speaker 2>keeps your best people motivated. The third move is one

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<v Speaker 2>that separates average leaders from great ones. Invest in them

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<v Speaker 2>before they ask, Give them better tools, better communication, better clarity.

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<v Speaker 2>These are the people you want long term, so act

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<v Speaker 2>like it. Don't wait until they are exhausted or frustrated,

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<v Speaker 2>because by then it's too late. Remember, reindeer do not

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<v Speaker 2>ask for lighter sleds. They pull. Leaders must step in

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<v Speaker 2>before strain becomes damaged in The final move is the

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<v Speaker 2>one every modern leader forgets. Celebrate them in meaningful ways,

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<v Speaker 2>not the generic holiday card or the team wide email.

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<v Speaker 2>Something real, something personal, something that shows you understand exactly

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<v Speaker 2>what they contribute. High performers do not need applause. They

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<v Speaker 2>need to know their effort matters. When they feel that

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<v Speaker 2>they give you more skill, they give you more loyalty, trust,

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<v Speaker 2>and consistency. That is the fuel of every successful organization

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<v Speaker 2>this season. Take one walk through your own reindeer barn,

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<v Speaker 2>look at the people carrying your mission. Ask yourself a

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<v Speaker 2>simple question. Have I supported them the way they support

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<v Speaker 2>this organization. If the answer is not a confident yes,

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<v Speaker 2>then you have work to do. High performers deserve a

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<v Speaker 2>leader who protects them, understands them, and equips them. They

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<v Speaker 2>deserve a leader who knows the load that they carry

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<v Speaker 2>and steps in before it becomes heavy. As you step

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<v Speaker 2>into the end of the year, take care of your

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<v Speaker 2>high performers. Strengthen them, protect them, help them recharge. When

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<v Speaker 2>leaders get this right, the entire operation runs smoother and

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<v Speaker 2>the sleigh always reaches its destination on time. This has

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<v Speaker 2>been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you

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<v Speaker 2>for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellofalito dot com.