Came across this little blog on twitter recently.  And since I'm hoping Santa will bring me a "source of cash" in the form of a high-growth leadership opportunity this Christmas, I thought i'd share it.

Only a small percentage of people are “Rudolphs” (highly creative and innovative), so the challenge is to find them, and then nurture that tendency, rather than stifle it. Entrepreneurs are almost always Rudolphs, but not all Rudolphs are entrepreneurs. Here is a summary of the characteristics that you are looking for:

• Thinkers and problem solvers. Rudolphs are naturally creative and innovative thinkers. Some Rudolphs may appear a bit eccentric to people around them. They generally share unconventional ways to solve problems and have an easier time than most at identifying the root cause of a problem.

• Passionate and inquisitive. Rudolphs are passionate about their work and light up when talking about their role or a particular project they are working on. They often ask “Why?” even when it is not the most popular question to be asked.

• Challenge the status quo. They believe that questioning is of value and benefit to the organization. This is also how they discover what they need in order to solve a problem, but they aren’t rocking the boat just for the sake of rocking the boat.

• Connect the dots. Rudolphs have the ability to quickly synthesize many variables to solve problems or make improvements. It may appear as if their ideas come out of the blue or that there is no rhyme or reason behind their thinking.

• See the big picture. They tend to be natural systems thinkers and see the whole forest rather than a single tree … or just the bark on the tree. They may express frustration if people around them are having conversations about the bark, rather than the forest.

• Collaborative and action oriented. They are not loners, and have the ability and confidence to turn their ideas into action. They act on their ideas, sometimes without knowing how they will accomplish them. The how is always revealed in time.

Happy Christmas everyone - I promise I've been a good boy this year....