It's a Wonderful Life

The Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” turns 75 this holiday season — but its message of hope and selflessness during despair remains as relevant as ever. The movie centers on George Bailey, a dissatisfied man contemplating suicide.

But as George stands on a bridge preparing to leap, he is approached by a quirky, but well-mannered man with a bag, Clarence, who strikes up a conversation with him. When George confesses to this guardian angel that he wishes he’d never been born, Clarence tells him that his wish has been granted and that he should take the bag with him and pretend to be a door-to-door brush salesman.

George returns to town and discovers that somehow no one recognizes him. His friends have taken different paths in life due to his absence. His little brother, whom he had saved from death in a swimming accident, perished without George there to rescue him. He also finds his wife is married to someone else. Their son pretends to shoot him with a toy cap gun and shouts, "You're dead. Why won't you die?"

The reason “It’s a Wonderful Life” has endured for so long and continues to resonate each holiday season is that it forces us to think about the many gifts we do have, not the ones we long for.

For us as leaders, it’s a reminder that coaching, teaching and instructing with selflessness is always the right approach. Leaders who care not only about the success of their organizations but about the achievements of their team members often leave behind an indelible legacy. They go above and beyond to provide guidance to those struggling or in need of personal change.

Leaders who value selflessness often provide their workers with more opportunities, set higher expectations for themselves, and are more receptive to feedback from subordinates. They are at peace with themselves and are more interested in giving than receiving, which is ultimately the essence of the holiday season.

Give more, take less, and no matter the struggles of the present, let’s not be blind to the blessings we do have.

It’s a wonderful life.