Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building and GOLAJV. This
Speaker 1: is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovledo.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
Speaker 2: It's episode five point fifty seven. Today we're stepping inside
Speaker 2: a place you have never heard discussed in any leadership book,
Speaker 2: The Reindeer Barn, the place where the real engine of
Speaker 2: Christmas lives. This is a story about high performers, the
Speaker 2: ones who carry the load all year while everyone else
Speaker 2: celebrates the big moment. Every leader has a version of
Speaker 2: this team. You know exactly who I'm talking about, the reliable, durable,
Speaker 2: quietly brilliant people who keep the operation moving while others
Speaker 2: take the spotlight. Picture the barn on December twenty third,
Speaker 2: the sleigh teams are being checked, harnesses lined up, flight
Speaker 2: plans reviewed, wind patterns logged. The crew was calm because
Speaker 2: they've trained for this moment all year. The reindeer that
Speaker 2: lead the sleigh are not the ones who talk the
Speaker 2: loudest in meetings. They are the ones who show up, ready,
Speaker 2: steady and focused every single day. You know these people
Speaker 2: in your world too. They never complain, They never cut corners,
Speaker 2: they never look for a short cut. They carry the
Speaker 2: extra weight because that is who they are. Here is
Speaker 2: where leaders stumble. High performers create an illusion. They make
Speaker 2: the hard look easy, They make chaos look controlled. They
Speaker 2: make gaps in your organization disappear because they fill them
Speaker 2: without being asked. That illusion blinds leaders. It creates a
Speaker 2: dangerous belief that these people require less attention and less
Speaker 2: support because everything always seems fine, and that couldn't be
Speaker 2: further from the truth. The Reindeer Barn teaches a lesson
Speaker 2: that every leader needs right now. High performers do not
Speaker 2: need more pressure. They need more protection. They need someone
Speaker 2: checking their harness before the flight, making sure the load
Speaker 2: they carry is evenly distributed, someone reminding them that their
Speaker 2: strengths are seen and valued. When leaders miss this, high
Speaker 2: performers burn out quietly. They do not wave a flag.
Speaker 2: They pull the sleigh until the moment they can't, and
Speaker 2: then the entire mission fails without warning. So how do
Speaker 2: you lead the people who carry the load. The first
Speaker 2: move is simple, make their invisible work visible. Look at
Speaker 2: everything they handle that no one else sees. Say it
Speaker 2: out loud, document it, bring it into the open. People
Speaker 2: stay loyal when they feel seen. The second move is
Speaker 2: to rebalance the load. Every high performer has tasks they
Speaker 2: picked up because no one else stepped in. Redistribute some
Speaker 2: of that responsibility, not all of it, enough that they
Speaker 2: can breathe again. Breathing room is not a luxury. It
Speaker 2: keeps your best people motivated. The third move is one
Speaker 2: that separates average leaders from great ones. Invest in them
Speaker 2: before they ask, Give them better tools, better communication, better clarity.
Speaker 2: These are the people you want long term, so act
Speaker 2: like it. Don't wait until they are exhausted or frustrated,
Speaker 2: because by then it's too late. Remember, reindeer do not
Speaker 2: ask for lighter sleds. They pull. Leaders must step in
Speaker 2: before strain becomes damaged in The final move is the
Speaker 2: one every modern leader forgets. Celebrate them in meaningful ways,
Speaker 2: not the generic holiday card or the team wide email.
Speaker 2: Something real, something personal, something that shows you understand exactly
Speaker 2: what they contribute. High performers do not need applause. They
Speaker 2: need to know their effort matters. When they feel that
Speaker 2: they give you more skill, they give you more loyalty, trust,
Speaker 2: and consistency. That is the fuel of every successful organization
Speaker 2: this season. Take one walk through your own reindeer barn,
Speaker 2: look at the people carrying your mission. Ask yourself a
Speaker 2: simple question. Have I supported them the way they support
Speaker 2: this organization. If the answer is not a confident yes,
Speaker 2: then you have work to do. High performers deserve a
Speaker 2: leader who protects them, understands them, and equips them. They
Speaker 2: deserve a leader who knows the load that they carry
Speaker 2: and steps in before it becomes heavy. As you step
Speaker 2: into the end of the year, take care of your
Speaker 2: high performers. Strengthen them, protect them, help them recharge. When
Speaker 2: leaders get this right, the entire operation runs smoother and
Speaker 2: the sleigh always reaches its destination on time. This has
Speaker 2: been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you
Speaker 2: for listening.
Speaker 1: For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellofalito dot com.