Kris Kringle as leader (video)

In the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," Kris Kringle, a department store Santa at Macy's, raises a storm of controversy when he tells a mother that she can buy the skates her child wants for Christmas at Gimbel’s, Macy's primary competitor.

A department store Santa, a low-paid temp worker, resides on the lowest rung of the economic ladder. "Miracle on 34th Street" is, among other things, the story of how someone in this lowly position helped people live by their deepest values in the most commercial season of the year.

The department store Santa has been told to direct customers to buy Macy's products. When the Macy's higher-ups hear that their Santa is sending people to Gimbel’s, at first they are not pleased. But later, when the press picks up the story with the message that Macy's is exhibiting the Christmas spirit, Gimbel’s gets in the act, too — sending people to Macy's when Macy's can better meet their customers' needs. The generosity spreads, with the outcome that the impossible happens: Mr. Macy ends up shaking hands with Mr. Gimbel.

The rest of the classic movie revolves around the question of whether Kris Kringle is really just a "nice old man" (and a lowly paid temp worker) or whether he is in fact the mythic Santa Claus himself. As events unfold, individuals are called to be their better selves and acknowledge the values of Christmas. A judge is influenced by his grandchildren and a prosecutor faces his own words to his son (insisting that Santa Claus exists). Even the fictional W.R. Macy himself, on the stand, ends up identifying Kris as the genuine article, based on the smiles of children lining up to see Kris and not the profit calculations of a department store magnate.

The transformations effected by the character of Kris Kringle in the movie are not a result of Kris being Santa Claus, but of calling out the best in the people around him. This is a lesson for everyone in the workplace, where one doesn't need to have power or mythic weight to make change happen, but one only needs to connect with the spirit and values of individuals themselves.

Kris Kringle, by being his best self and calling out others' best selves, transformed at least two department stores and numerous individuals in the movie. Even someone on the lowest rung of the corporate ladder, by connecting with people's hearts, can bring about transformation.

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For more info: Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of Soul at Work and The Soul of a Leader works with leaders in healthcare, business, churches, government and non-profits to help them stay true to their souls. Visit her website.