Berger Leadership Blog

I hope you enjoyed the season’s holidays!

One of the most beloved classic readings from this time of year is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Most know the story well, but Geoff Loftus, a contributor at Forbes, put a new spin on the classic in his post, “3 Leadership Lessons from Ebenezer Scrooge?”

Loftus’ three lessons, and a bit of my own take, include:

1. Stay focused. Loftus zeroes in on Scrooge’s level of intense focus. While this cost Scrooge a lot in his life (missing the passing of his business partner, losing a fiancé), you can’t deny the man was focused. While he takes things a bit too far, I think we can say Scrooge stands without peer in terms of drive and concentration.

2. Learn from history and experience. Loftus points out that it took visits from four ghosts to “snap Scrooge out of his money obsession.” I’m not waiting for ghostly visits, but I like the fact that once Scrooge learned his lesson, he moved forward and never looked back – never making the same mistakes again.

3. Be passionate about what you do. Whatever his focus at any given time, Scrooge gives his all. Are we giving 100 percent in our own lives?

As leaders, we all can take a lesson from the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Some lessons are timeless… Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all!