By Patrick Erwin

I can distinctly remember waking up in the early hours of the morning as a young child and running down the hallway to see what Santa had brought. What would be the big gift this year? Would it be a bicycle? A gaming system? The suspense was too much to hold us in our beds, and so it wasn’t uncommon for this to happen at 4:00 in the morning!

Fast-forward to today and I have kids of my own. They share that same excitement for Christmas morning, rushing down the stairs to see what Santa has brought them this year. As their dad, I’m not crazy about the early morning part, but I just love watching them get excited about what they’ve gotten this year.

From being a kid to an adult, there is a serious shift in roles when it comes to gift-giving in general. As a kid, it was just my job to be excited, sometimes all year long, and then be there when it was time to open presents from Santa. As an adult, I am Santa. I help plan the gifts, shift the budget around to make sure we can afford them, do all the wrapping, and stay up late to set out the gifts and the cookies and milk.  And then it’s my job to enjoy the moment and all the moments that follow.  

If I’m being honest, Christmas as a parent is way more fun than Christmas as a kid. This is because I get to participate in all the things that make Christmas fun, not just the giving of gifts. This offers a picture of teacher leadership as we grow older, which I call the Santa Claus Clause.   

Think of it like this: When we are younger, we focus mostly on what life gives to us. But as we grow older and become leaders, we must shift our focus to what we can give to the younger generation of students and teachers. A great leader is defined by the legacy they leave behind.  

Do you remember walking into your classroom, locker room, or onto your field or court for the first time? I’ll bet you were nervous. I’ll also bet you remember someone older who took you under their wing. That person, I’ll bet you see their face right now, made sure you knew where to go, what to do, and how to do it, and I hope they made sure you had a good time in the process. They were your Santa Claus.

But as we get older, the shine of those first days wears off. It’s not quite as fun to show up as it used to be. You might find yourself thinking, “I don’t enjoy this like I used to,” or even, “Maybe I should just quit and move on.” This is a problem of focus and perspective. You’re concerned about what others can give you and not what you can give to them.

This is normal. Our culture encourages us to focus on what our jobs, friends, or even family give us. When that feeling we used to get just by showing up and having value added to us wears off, we are tempted to look for something else to do.

What we need is a mindset shift. You’re a seasoned leader now, and I’m here to tell you the way to make this season feel new, different, and even more joyful is to become Santa Clause. Shift your focus to giving a meaningful experience to someone else. In doing so, you’ll realize the old truth: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Here are three ways to apply the Santa Claus Clause:

1. Understand that greater joy comes from giving to others, not taking for yourself.    

Giving time and money to others increases feelings of happiness much more than doing things for yourself. In addition, people who are givers live longer lives, have stronger relationships, and show more gratitude in their daily lives. Providing a joyful experience for someone else is the perfect way to increase happiness.

2. Remember that when you focus on giving to others, the payoff is often delayed.

Parents spend months planning a successful Christmas morning. The payoff is delayed until the end of the process, but the joy is so much greater. The child’s job is to anticipate and enjoy. In our teaching lives, our younger colleagues tend to enjoy the day-to-day activities more than older ones do. But in the end, those with experience, wisdom, and perspective know that the real payoff comes when students are promoted or graduate. Don’t expect it to be as fun as it used to be at the beginning, but understand the payoff is much greater in the end.

3. Everything you get from your school year can be taken away.   

Look at what happened in 2020 and what we all lost. Almost everything ‘owed’ to us as teachers was canceled and taken away by a global pandemic none of us saw coming. However, what cannot be taken away is the time we spent building up our students and colleagues. No one can touch how we make others feel. No pandemic can remove the legacy we leave behind by giving what we have to the people we love.

Think again of that older person who made sure your first days and years were exciting and memorable. Perhaps they are leaving this year, or perhaps they left years ago. Now is not the time to mourn their departure and focus on yourself. You must now shift your focus to becoming that person for someone else. It is your turn to be their Santa Claus.