HOLIDAY LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Eric Jacobson

With the arrival of the holiday season, it's time for the memorable end-of-the-year advertising campaigns and familiar music to hit the airwaves; our TV's, radios, and computer/tablet/smartphone screens will be bombarded by reminders of the season. Since I've been honored to share several inspiring series on my blog over the last year including my #FallBacktoReadingSeries, #SpringLeadershipSeries, and #OlympicsLeadershipSeries, I've decided to end the year with my #HolidayLeadershipSeries.

I've asked 10 thought leaders to chime in and share some of their holiday thoughts as they pertain to leadership and marketing specifically during the holiday season. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

And now, for today's post, I'd like to introduce Eric Jacobson, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Eric has three decades of experience in successfully leading employees and teams through periods of revenue growth, new product development, and re-engineering. He is an experienced mentor and coach and holds an MBA Degree from Keller Graduate School. His passion is helping individuals to become effective leaders at work, within organizations, and wherever they are called upon to lead and inspire. Eric’s writings about leadership and management appear regularly on his blog, and he's a regular contributor to my leadership series.

QUESTION: What BRAND or PRODUCT is the most memorable during the holiday season?
ERIC JACOBSON: The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is the most memorable brand during the holiday season, because for me, it is the event that I have watched ever since I can remember. Starting in 1924, it has been held continuously except from 1942 to 1944. And after watching it on TV nearly every year beginning in my pre-teen years, I finally attended it in person during the 1990's. The crowd, frigid cold temperatures, and sitting just feet away from the signature giant helium balloons are forever memorable. Also, I would visit Macy's famous Herald Square store (on 34th street) where the parade ends on multiple business and vacation trips to New York City.

QUESTION: What is your favorite holiday ADVERTISEMENT?
ERIC JACOBSON: All the Budweiser and Coca-Cola (especially those featuring the polar bear) TV commercials are my favorites. The Budweiser holiday ads connect with all audiences, tug at the heartstrings, and bring me smiles during the holiday season. Same for the Coca-Cola holiday-themed commercials. Both companies' holiday ads feel very nostalgic, and that evokes great holiday season memories for me.

QUESTION: What is your favorite piece of music or SONG during the holiday season?
ERIC JACOBSON: I enjoy virtually all holiday music and listen to my radio between Thanksgiving to New Year's Day every year to enjoy the radio stations that play holiday music all day long during that time period.

However, my most favorite song is "Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters, featuring the gifted and impeccable voice of Karen Carpenter. The song is my favorite on their "Christmas Portrait Songbook" album, which is the first Christmas-themed record I purchased when I first started collecting vinyl.

In one of music publication Billboard's lists of all-time top holiday songs, they wrote, "Her vocal on Merry Christmas Darling as she longs for her loved one, who is away for Christmas and New Year's Day, is pure, sublime perfection. She conveys the perfect mix of yearning, sadness, and hope since she knows, even though it is unspoken, they will be joyfully reunited after the holidays. Over 50 years since its release, it is still the soundtrack for any college couples separated during the holiday break."

QUESTION: Whose PERSONAL BRAND stands out during the holidays? (Think outside the box and do not share any religious choices.)
ERIC JACOBSON: Musician, singer, and actor Burl Ives. The holidays would not be the same without hearing Ives narrate the still-popular 1964 animated television movie, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Similarly, I always look forward to hearing him singing the iconic "Silver and Gold" song (featured in the movie) during the holiday season.

QUESTION: And lastly, since this is a leadership series, what is your favorite LEADERSHIP QUOTE?
ERIC JACOBSON: Here's my favorite: "Leaders are measured by the caliber of leaders they develop, not the caliber of their own leadership" by John C. Maxell. You will find this and many other valuable leadership quotes in his book entitled, "The 5 Levels of Leadership."

SHARE THIS: Leaders are measured by the caliber of leaders they develop, not the caliber of their own leadership. ~John C. Maxell via @EricJacobsonKC #HolidayLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog

And one of my fave quotes from Eric - from a previous appearance on my blog:

SHARE THIS: When there is blame, the leader should be in the forefront. When credit is due, the leader should be in the background. ~@EricJacobsonKC #HolidayLeadershipSeries #DebbieLaskeysBlog

My gratitude to Eric for sharing his leadership insights and for being a part of my #HolidayLeadershipSeries.


Image Credit: Wordswag.

The History of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade - Five Facts You May Not Know:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-feat/index.html

10 Longest-Running Balloon Floats in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:
https://collider.com/longest-running-balloon-floats-in-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/

Details about the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:
https://macysthanksgiving.fandom.com/wiki/The_98th_Annual_Macy%27s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade_(2024)

Listen to Karen Carpenter sing: Merry Christmas, Darling
https://youtu.be/IOvclFSSlJk?si=f0Hr8x3rtFeqj4SR


Connect with Eric at these links:
Blog: https://ericjacobsononmanagement.blogspot.com  
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/ericjacobsonkc

Check out Eric's previous appearances here on my blog:

OLYMPICS LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Eric Jacobson (July 2024)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/07/olympics-leadership-series-featuring.html

FALL BACK TO READING SERIES – Featuring Eric Jacobson (September 2023)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/09/fall-back-to-reading-series-featuring.html

Let's Celebrate #NationalLeadershipDay! (February 2023)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/02/lets-celebrate-nationalleadershipday.html

How Leadership Crafts the #EmployeeExperience (May 2018)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2018/05/how-leadership-crafts-employeeexperience.html

Leadership Doesn't Have to Be Hard (May 2016)
http://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2016/05/leadership-doesnt-have-to-be-hard.html

The Importance of Mentorships (March 2013)
http://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2013/03/the-importance-of-mentorships.html

The Importance of Training, Customer Connections, and Leadership (March 2011)
http://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2011/03/importance-of-training-customer.html