What We Can Learn About Leadership From Clark Griswold

The Griswolds. Clark. Ellen. Cousin Eddie. Millions have watched the now classic movie of the Christmas season, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. There is a reason this movie is one of the most popular in American culture – it presents a view of the imperfections of life, family, and relationships. And, it is just plain funny. Here are six leadership lessons that we can learn from Clark this Christmas.

1. Every group, family or team comes with quirks, not just yours.

How many teams have a cousin Eddie (adding a bit of chaos and drama) or the angry uncle Lewis? In our search for the “perfect” team, we would do well to remember that we each bring our own quirks, shortcomings, and blind spots to our organizations. Sometimes we need to learn to work in light of their shortcomings rather than focusing on them. After all, we are all broken somewhere.

2. Unrealistic expectations can result in some serious disappointment.

Unmet expectations are often the source of most conflicts, like Clark’s search for the perfect tree or ideal decorations or meal. So, we would be wise to keep our expectations in check. As a leader, ask yourself the following questions: Are my expectations of myself and my team realistic? Am I aiming for a balance of stretching people and setting them up for success? And, how will I handle disappointment when it strikes? Because it will certainly strike.

3. Solutions to problems are often found in the least expected places.

Remember when Clark could not get his extravagant light display to work? Rusty supposedly checked all the bulbs. Clark checked all the cords. Yet – no lights. They were looking in the logical places for the problem (bulbs and plugs), but systems theory teaches us that the solutions to problems are often not found where you first expect (the switch in which the lights were plugged). The closer you are to the system you lead, the harder it is to see it. External perspectives can add great value in both seeing systems and testing assumptions about systems.

4. Resisting self-centeredness requires constant vigilance.

Clark, the kids, Eddie, the owner of the company, and the narcissistic neighbors all had wants and desires. No shock there, right? And today, you can even purchase a personalized bumper sticker that says, “It’s all about (your name)!” Combating self-centeredness requires a never-ending effort of vigilance, accountability, and self-awareness to keep our desires in check and also attending to the needs of those around us.

5. Showing perseverance when things are not going your way.

We live in a culture where “cancel” and “quit” are fast becoming icons of the decade. Don’t like your home? Sell it. Don’t like your car? Trade it. Don’t like your boss, dump him. Don’t like your church? Leave it. This is not to say any one of these is wrong at some point in our lives, but the decay of perseverance stands out. Albeit in a humorous way, Clark demonstrates perseverance in the midst of difficulty and disappointment. There is some grit in him. Even when his in-laws called his effort at all the Christmas lights “silly,” he refused to quit.

6. Generosity matters.

One of my favorite scenes of Christmas Vacation is when Eddie and Clark are walking through the store. Eddie is out of work, as he usually is in these movies, but Clark offers to buy gifts for the kids. And Eddie’s response is a classic – “I’m not one for charity” and then proceeds to hand Clark an extensive gift list. Anyone who understands the message of Christmas will humbly realize that we are all in need of charity. Christmas is all about charity or help which started at the manger over 2,000 years ago: “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’—which, when translated, means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23). A gracious and forgiving God generously offering us help without strings attached – help that could not be bought by the rich or owed to the poor. A gift of forgiveness and hope. As leaders, let’s be charitable to those around us – both to our team members and our community. Generosity matters.

This year has had challenges we could not have imagined this time last year. And yet, here we are at Christmas 2020. You are reading this blog which means you are alive and have made it through one of the hardest years in recent history. So this Christmas, may you accept the imperfect people surrounding you (including yourself), keep your expectations in check, refuse to quit, show some generosity to others, and thank God for his unconditional charity that continues to be shown to each of us through Jesus.

As Clark would say, "Have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas."

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Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.