In the spirit of Christmas, I thought we’d have a little fun on the blog today and ask ourselves what Santa is looking for when he hires an elf. Now, I’m not sure if elves actually go through a hiring process or what they get paid or if they get insurance. All I know is that if you’re making and delivering gifts for every child in the world, you better have some elves you can depend on.
Who knows, maybe there’s even a correlation between what Santa’s looking for when he’s hiring an elf to what other leaders should be looking for when they bring someone onto their team.
After all, Santa’s got a pretty important mission, and so do you. So, you want to make sure you get the right people on your team.
4 Characteristics Santa’s Looking for in an Elf
- Passion
Santa needs elves that are passionate about their role. If Herbie doesn’t like to make toys, then Herbie has to go. The mission is too important to assign it to someone who isn’t excited about the work that needs to be done. Santa is looking for elves that bring joy to their workplace and not negativity.
- Competent
Passion is great, but it has to be paired with an elf that knows what he or she is doing. It doesn’t matter how excited you are about your job if you stink at it. Santa knows the mission is too critical to give the job to someone who isn’t unqualified. It’s a lesson too many churches have yet to figure out.
- Character
Not only does Santa keep a naughty or nice list for every child in the world, I believe he keeps one for each elf. If he has an elf who is coming in to work late, showing up at the mall drunk, or flirting with Santa’s secretary, then that elf has to go.
- Fun
When you work at the North Pole, you’re going to be working in close proximity with the other elves, so it helps if you’re fun to be around. No one likes a Negative-Ned, a Complaining-Carol, or a Gossiping-Greg. If you’re fun, people will want to be around you, and the best elves work in teams.
Santa can’t do his job alone, and neither can you. Make sure you’re placing the right people on your team in order to accomplish the mission God has given you.
If you have some people on your team who don’t have these characteristics, this may need to be the year that they get coal in their stocking, if you know what I mean.
What do you think the best part of Santa’s job would be? Is it flying the sleigh? All the free cookies and milk? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, and make sure to subscribe to the blog to get tips on church growth, leadership, and more delivered to your inbox each week.
