You know you're a pre-Christmas miracle Grinch as a leader when you insist everyone do things your way, you expect your team to do it in half the time it usually takes, and you drain the happiness out of your employees, writes Dan Rockwell. To experience the Grinch's miracle of having your heart grow three sizes, Rockwell suggests caring for your people and courageously widening your perspective.

Put it into practice: The Grinch's heart expanded that Christmas morning when he saw that even though he had removed all the presents from Whoville, the townspeople still celebrated, Rockwell notes. "The Grinch's breakthrough happened like a bolt of lightning when he realized there was more to joy than presents."

You should periodically focus on your company's negatives to identify opportunities and threats, writes innovation advisor Larry Robertson. There are three key advantages to such exercises, Robertson writes, including allowing employees to be honest about their challenges, seeing your business in a new light and uncovering new ways to adapt to industry changes.

Put it into practice: Allowing employees to discuss known issues without fear of retribution openly can create an environment where truth is valued, Robertson writes. "In an uncertain world like this, truth-telling alone is one of the best management tools a company has for mitigating uncertainty."

Turning 60 has been a blessing for Teri Hatcher, who starred as Lois Lane on TV's "Lois & Clark" and Susan Mayer on "Desperate Housewives," and she says she's focusing on staying in shape and being grateful. "[A]s long as you're here, you have an opportunity to make whatever you want out of your life or your perception of your life. That is where you have the control," Hatcher says.

From the early days of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to the expansive Hallmark holiday film lineup, TV Christmas specials have become a cultural mainstay, maintaining their popularity by tapping into the universal appeal of heartwarming stories and familiar characters. To make Christmas movies, "You have to lean into a beautiful fantasy world in which good things happen, people support one another and fall quickly for one another, and disruptive forces that seek to exert power or make life harder for those in need will ultimately be defeated," said "Hot Frosty" writer Russell Hainline.

In celebration of the holidays, SmartBrief will not publish on 12/25.

I want to wish all the readers of SmartBrief on Leadership a very Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a Happy New Year. We'll be off tomorrow but back with shorter briefs during the rest of the year, along with a wrap-up of the most popular Leadership stories from the year right before 2025 begins.

Thank you for being with me this past year. I appreciate every one of you.

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