Motivational speaker Jim Carroll says those looking for insights from a true master of leadership, creativity, and innovation should look no further than Santa Claus. Here’s what we can learn from Old Saint Nick: 

1. He’s aware. He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. For goodness sake!
2. He’s organized. He’s got a list. He checks it twice.
3. He knows exactly what the customer wants. He received and read your letter. He excels at keeping up with constantly changing customer demands.
4. He’s not afraid of hiring those who are different: Rudolph. Red Nosed. Reindeer. Enough said.
5. He inspires his staff with a singular mission. They fulfill their duty with passion and a smile. They wear cool hats to remind them they’re on a team. They’re often known for singing while they work.
6. He has integrity as a core virtue. His leadership core is based on knowing who’s naughty and nice.
7. He’s reliable. He shows up. He’s coming to town. We know that. There’s even a song about his reliability.
8. He has mastered organizational logistics. His delivery system puts FedEx to shame.
9. His is mindful of work/life balance. Some people take a few weeks off for a holiday. Some might take off a month. Santa takes off entire seasons to recoup from his big night.
10. He has maintained the essence of brand name over a span of several hundred years despite massive change. He regularly transitions his brand to the next generation. As each generation becomes aware that Santa plays a different role in their lives, they ensure that the next generations have deep loyalty. No other leader can pull off this feat!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The following letter is perhaps the most famous example of a child wanting to know if Santa Claus is real. This is a letter to the editor of The New York Sun (1897).

 Dear Editor,

            I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth is there a Santa Claus?

            Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia,

 Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except that which they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s are little. In the great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the countless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would the world be if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to have men watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which the strongest men, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. It is all real! Ah Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding

No Santa Claus?

Thank God! He lives forever.

A thousand years from now Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of a childhood.

“The best gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped in each other.” – Burton Hills

WE WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

We have had a tremendous response to our Holiday Gift offer. The good news is that there is still time to take advantage of this outstanding offer. Read more about it… 

Looking for the perfect holiday gift? How about a brand new American West home? American West has made it easier than ever to purchase a brand new home with our Holiday Gift offer. Need help with your closing costs – we got you covered. How about help with paying your mortgage for the next two years? No problem. And because we want your new home to include everything on your wish list, we are also helping with the custom features you select. Who could ask for a better holiday gift? 

Every American West home is known for its quality construction, abundance of included custom features, pool-sized backyards and superior customer service. The value that is built into every American West home is incomparable. The highly sought-after locations of neighborhoods with nearby conveniences, the spaciousness of the home designs, and everything included in your new home are just an added bonus. We realize your new home will be a reflection of your family’s personality and values, so it’s with a sense of commitment, honor and pride that we build every American West home. 

Homebuyers can choose from 9 American West communities featuring home designs from 1, 216 to 4,770 sq. ft. with up to 6 bedrooms. There are even split-level homes with an included elevator – no other builder in Las Vegas includes an elevator in their homes! Homes start as low as $188,500.    

Our greatest accomplishment has always been the over 15,000 families who call an American West home their own. Who could ask for a better job then helping make the dream of a new home come true for the families of Southern Nevada? When you buy a home from American West, you can take comfort in knowing that you’ve bought form the Number One Builder in America, American West, America’s best. 

For more information on our holiday gift offer, please call (702) 308-1111. Information on all our communities along with floorplans, photography and virtual tours can be found at www.AmericanWestHomes.com. 

Let us help you discover how we can make the dream of owning a new home come true for you today. Happy Holidays!

At American West, we believe in the importance of family. We realize your new home will a reflection of your family’s personality and values, so it’s with a sense of commitment, honor and pride that we build every American West home. From innovative design and superior construction, to homeowner satisfaction, American West’s homes offer exceptional quality and the best value per square foot of any home builder in Southern Nevada.

When you consider all this, it’s no wonder American West is revered as one of the top 100 builders in America. American West has also accumulated over 100 local and national building awards including the national ACE Award, which recognizes American West as the Number One Home Builder in America in terms of construction excellence.

Every American West home is known for its quality construction, abundance of included features, pool sized backyards and superior customer service. As one of the nation’s largest-locally owned homebuilders, we have been building homes for over 25 years. Our home designs range from 1,216 to 4,770 square feet with up to 6 bedrooms and start as low as $188,500. We stand apart from everyone else with our quality, value, superior construction and innovative features such as finished basements, tri-levels and split-level homes with included elevators. Our homes are in the best neighborhoods, with great schools, parks, golf courses and shopping right at your doorstep.

Over 15,000 families call an American West home their own. So whey you buy a home from American West, you can take comfort in knowing that you’ve bought from the Number One Builder in America. American West, America’s best.

Discover how we can make the dream of owning a new home come true for you today. We have made it easier than ever to buy a new home with our Holiday Gift promotion. For more details, call (702) 308-1111. Information on all our homes and communities can be found at www.AmericanWestHomes.com

Watch a video of our beautiful homes.