Strategy#10: Lee Cockerell Creating Magic

Develop Character

“At the end of your 10 Common Sense

life, no one will care
what titles you once A leader has a strong sense of right and wrong – a moral compass – that
Leadership
held, or how much guides their actions. If you have a clear set of values, you don’t need to It’s not the Strategies from a
money you made,
or what a big shot
spend a lot of time debating difficult moral issues; you already know the an- magic that Life at Disney
swer. makes it work;
you thought you
it’s the way we
were. If you really 1. Anticipate ethical dilemmas. work that
care about your 2. Live your values. makes it
legacy—and you 3. Train for character, not just skill. Leadership Comes First.
magic.
should if you want 4. Teach your values.
to be a great The secret to Disney’s suc- data they found that the most suc-
leader—then take a cess boils down to human re- cessful Cast Members had lead-
long, close look at It’s a good idea to think about every day, and pass these values onto sources. Disney hires the best ers who received high ratings
your values and the and predict potential ethical dilemmas employees at every opportunity. The- people, trains them better than from their staff in areas such as
principles on which so that when they do arrive, a you can se values can be taught to employees anyone else, and supports them listening, coaching, and letting
they are based. If react quickly. A great leader will un- formally as well. fully while they make their own people make their own decisions.
your character is derstand their values, practice them decisions. “In short, great leadership leads to
strong, and you The Disney company had employee excellence which leads
build your actions Conclusion been successful for decades, but to customer satisfaction and
faithfully on that in the 1990s their old, top-down strong business results. In other
foundation, you will leadership style was outdated. In words, the customer doesn’t come
Creating Magic is an engag- much of it is based on the principles
be remembered as an effort to re-make the leader- first; leadership comes
ing and easy-to-read book that pro- described in Creating Magic. While
a leader worthy of ship culture in Disney, Judson first.” (Cockerell, 2008, loc 181)
vides practical advice to any leader. practicing these leadership strate-
being followed.” Green (president of Disney’s The leadership changes
While Cockerell uses examples and gies, Disney has become the world’s
(Cockerell, 2008, theme parks and resorts division) were embraced by most manag-
anecdotes from the Disney company largest entertainment company. This
loc 3538) and Al Weiss (executive vice ers, but some had difficulty chang-
and his personal history, the advice suggests that these principles must
president) hired Lee Cockerell to ing from the “old style” of top-
and strategies can easily be applied have significant validity and value.
help them create the best leader- down leadership. Leaders who
to any organization whether it is a Finally, the leadership strate-
ship culture possible. were unable to embrace the new
traditional business organization or a gies described in Creating Magic
Their leadership theory philosophy either moved on or
non-profit organization such as an have been adopted by the world-
was put to the test through re- were replaced.
educational institution. renowned Disney Institute and they
search into customer feedback.
Disney leadership is highly now form the core of their leadership
They found that the highest guest
respected throughout the world and curriculum.
satisfaction always resulted from
positive guest-Cast Member inter-
actions. When they probed the
 The Disney Great Strategy#1:
Leader Strategies Remember, Everyone Is Important
Rolled-out over eight weeks,
these strategies became the
“Leadership is basis for all Disney leadership
more than a role; “At Disney we
it’s a responsibility. training. Inclusion isn’t just about ignoring ethnic, religious, and sexual orientation. It’s defined our ap-
A big one. Being a about making every employee feel important. When employees know they proach to inclu-
leader means doing matter, they want to come to work. They are more loyal and productive. sion with the ac-
what has to be However, two became part of Disney year. Now the GLS Turnover and absenteeism decreases. The Disney acronym for this is RAVE: ronym RAVE: re-
done, when it has years later, Cockerell culture there was a forms the basis of the Respect, Appreciate, and Value Everyone. spect, appreci-
to be done, in the was not satisfied with corresponding increase Disney Institute’s cur- ate, and value
way it should be how quickly the new in returning guest per- riculum, so they contin- 1. Make sure everyone matters… and that everyone knows it. everyone. If you
done, whether you philosophy was being centage and leader- ue to spread through- 2. Know your team. respect, appreci-
like it or not and adopted. In order to ship evaluation scores. out the world. 3. Let your team get to know you. ate, and value
whether they like it increase the rate of Employee turnover Cockerell ar- 4. Greet People sincerely. your employees,
or not. It means leadership renewal, dropped to the lowest gued that leadership is 5. Reach out to everyone on your team. the word will get
making the right Lee Cockerell wrote in the entire hospitality not something people 6. Make yourself available out. As a result,
things happen by the Disney Great Lead- industry (one third of are born with. It is 7. Listen to understand. people will line
brining out the best ership Strategies the industry average). something that can be 8. Communicate clearly, directly, and honestly. up to work for
in others.” (GLS). These became Cockerell argued that learned by anyone. 9. Stand up for the excluded. you, and current
(Cockerell, 2008, the basis of Disney’s the GLS can be used “Leadership is 10. Forget about the chain of command. employees will
loc 277) leadership training in in any organization, in more than a role; it’s a 11. Don’t micromanage. not want to
the late 1990s and also any industry, from responsibility. A big 12. Design your culture. leave.”
formed the basis of this small to large. He has one. Being a leader (Cockerell, 2008,
book. lectured on the GLS to means doing what has loc 548)
Cockerell went companies all around to be done, when it has Every leader has a chance to who fries the fries to the person who
over the GLS with his the world, including to be done, in the way improve their business through every sells the fries. If you disrupt any part of
direct reports and they groups ranging from it should be done, single interaction they have with staff. this chain, the entire system collapses.
did the same with the traditional businesses whether you like it or These opportunities can come at any And, if every position is im-
people they supervise. to non-profit organiza- not and whether they moment, at any time of the day, and in portant, then that means that leaders
any situation. need to let those people do their work
Every employee was tions. like it or not. It means
Cockerell drew a comparison without interference (micromanaging).
given copies of the In time, the Dis- making the right things between leadership and parenting, Leaders need to get to know
strategies and they ney Institute adopted happen by brining out suggesting that leaders need to pay their employees and should not be
were discussed at all the GLS and used the best in oth- attention to the lives of their employ- afraid to let those employees get to
levels of the organiza- them to modify their ers.” (Cockerell, 2008, ees. Because every position in an or- know them in turn.
tion. programs. The Disney loc 277) ganization is important, good leaders Bottom line: treat your staff with
will treat every employee with kind- real respect at all times and truly care
As the new Institute instructs over
ness and respect from the person who for them.
leadership philosophy 100,000 leaders every buys the fries and oil to the person
“No matter what
business or
Strategy#2: Strategy#3:
organization you’re
in, when it comes
Break The Mold Make Your People Your Brand
to structure, you
have to be willing to
break the mold.
Your job as a “Like practicing
leader is to figure Your organization is only as good as the people working in it. You can have good preventive
Don’t be afraid to change culture and practices. Be willing to make changes
out what the the best products and services, but if your people are not great, your compa- medicine, hiring
to the business organization whenever necessary and continually re-
organization should ny will not be great either. and promoting
evaluate organizational effectiveness.
look like, not just to the right people
do your best within 1. Define the perfect candidate. will spare you a
1. Be clear about who’s responsible for what.
the existing design. 2. Don’t settle for a clone. lot of painful and
2. Remember that responsibility and authority go hand in hand.
Unfortunately, 3. Look for people in unlikely places. costly problems.”
3. Make every position count.
many leaders 4. Involve the team in the selection process. (Cockerell, 2008,
4. Get as flat as you can.
consider 5. Select by talent, not resume. loc 1226)
5. Eliminate overwork.
organizational 6. Rethink the meeting structure. 6. Find a good fit.
details boring, and 7. Anyone can take responsibility for change. 7. Hire people who are smarter and more talented than you.
others don’t think 8. Be prepared to take risks. 8. Describe the job completely.
structural changes 9. Check out candidates personally. “Bottom line:
9. Expect resistance.
are worth all the 10. Ask revealing questions. Your organiza-
10. Don’t try to win every battle.
hard work. But I 11. Use structured interviews when possible. tion’s culture is
11. You’re never really done.
can assure you, 12. Find out what really matters to your applicants. the product of
good organizational 13. If possible, have candidates demonstrate their expertise. the people in it,
If an employee has responsibili- ture to see if a layer needs to be add- and every addi-
architecture not 14. Select the best candidate, not the best available.
ties then they need to have the author- ed in order to reduce responsibility. tion and subtrac-
only keeps costs in 15. Look for people to nurture and promote.
ity necessary to make sure they can Meetings can be tremendous tion will alter the
line and maximizes 16. Constantly evaluate performance.
do the job. Anything else will assure time wasters if they are not managed chemistry. Do
efficiency but also 17. Recognize when the job doesn’t fit the talent.
their frustration and failure. properly. Leaders should examine everything you
streamlines the 18. Terminate quickly and kindly.
Leaders should examine their meeting structures and only have can to keep it
decision-making 19. Don’t lose touch with those you lose.
corporate structure and make sure that meetings when absolutely necessary. harmonious.”
process, enhances
every position is necessary. At the Successful organizations avoid (Cockerell, 2008,
employee
same time, leaders should eliminate complacency and are willing to take loc 1337)
satisfaction, and The most important part of any ers do not take resumes for granted .
as many organizational levels as they risks on new ideas. These new ideas
facilitates creativity business is the people and that means Healthy organizations look in-
possibly can because less levels be- do not have to come from manage-
and innovation at hiring (and firing) is critical for suc- ternally when they need talent be-
tween the leader and the front-line ment; they can come from any em- cess. Leaders need to interview thor- cause once you have a great culture, it
all levels.”
staff translates into less opportunity for ployee. However, any changes will oughly and trust nothing in the inter- is always easier to move people famil-
(Cockerell, 2008,
miscommunication. bring resistance, so leaders need to be view process. Sometimes making sure iar with that culture than hire from out-
loc 854)
Conversely, if employees are prepared for that resistance. Finally, you get the best person for the posi- side the company.
feeling over-worked, then a good lead- good leaders never stop looking for tion will involve actually testing those
er will look at the organizational struc- ways to improve the business. skills required for the job. Good lead-
 Strategy#4: Strategy#5:
Create Magic Through Training Eliminate Hassles “Ruling out pro-
“As someone who cess snags first
owes his career to is a more effi-
leaders who took cient way to re-
the time to help him spond, and it
grow, I know that Whenever you have a problem in your organization, examine processes makes a huge
Having the right people in place isn’t enough; you need to make sure you
educating (procedures, rules, policies) to see if the problem is caused by a process that difference in mo-
give them everything they need to do a great job. If leaders spend time de-
employees pays off can be modified. rale. Discipline is
veloping their staff, less will leave and they’ll be more effective.
big-time. If you necessary only
make sure people 1. Ask what rather than who. when someone
1. Give people a purpose, not just jobs.
know how to do 2. Listen to your customers. intentionally ig-
2. Take your role as leader seriously.
their jobs well and 3. Learn firsthand what’s working and what’s not. nores proce-
3. Become a COACH (Care, Observe, Act, Communicate, Help).
show that you care 4. Constantly query employees. dures, but if the
4. Teach by example.
about their future, 5. Harvest process solutions from employees. procedures
5. Teach the principles of great service.
you’ll not only 6. Try an audit exchange plan. themselves are
6. Train people for Magical Moments and Take 5s.
improve their 7. Stay technically up-to-date. flawed, blaming
7. Teach them how and where to spend their time.
performances but 8. Think ahead. can be destruc-
8. Communicate constantly.
also bolster their 9. Look at your personal processes. tive. So when
9. Give feedback immediately and effectively.
self-confidence and 10. Expect resistance. complaint pat-
10. Prepare them for the unexpected.
inspire in them a 11. Periodically evaluate the changes you make. terns emerge,
profound sense of make it your de-
commitment. So fault position to
The most productive employ- tured. Either way, a leader cannot backtrack
give your people
ees are those who feel their jobs hold employees accountable for not through the sys-
everything they The first step to eliminating those leaders who stay up-to-date with
have true value, that they are doing doing a great job if those employees tem to find out
need to excel by hassles is to ask about the problem technology can access those solutions
something worthwhile. Organizations have not been properly trained. the causes—not
developing instead of blaming the person (ask effectively.
need to communicate mission and Skills are not the only thing the who but the
effective, thorough, what rather than who). This puts the A good leader does not forget
vision to their employees so they can that needs to be trained; principles what. More often
consistent training focus on the process instead of the about their own processes. They ex-
internalize company values. need to be communicated through than you might
processes and person and ultimately, it is the process amine them from time to time and
Training is one of the most im- training as well. suspect the
learning that needs to be fixed. make adjustments in order to maxim-
portant aspects of any successful Part of training is providing glitch will turn
opportunities. Customers and employees can ize their own efficiency.
company. Through training you can timely and constructive feedback. out to be proce-
(Cockerell, 2008, help you pinpoint process errors so Any change will cause some
make your company what you want it Employees cannot improve if they dural.”
loc 1658) good leaders ask for feedback from resistance from staff but a good leader
to be. Training can take place daily are never told what it is they need to (Cockerell, 2008,
everyone and use that feedback to im- will expect this resistance and then
when experts share their skill with improve and what skills are needed loc 2046)
prove their business. check back on the change after time
others (COACH), by employees for improvement.
Technology can often provide to determine if the change was really
(including leaders) acting as exam-
solutions to process problems but only successful.
ples for others, or it can be struc-
 Strategy#6: Strategy#7:
Learn The Truth Burn The Free Fuel
“Never underes-
“Remember, “I had timate the emo-
no idea that was tional impact you
going on” is not an The free fuel is ARE (like ore): appreciation, respect, encouragement. This have as a lead-
A good leader is always learning and seeking new information. Sometimes
acceptable supply is inexhaustible. In fact, the more you burn it, the more you get. We er.”
employees won’t give up the truth willingly, so you need to probe, dig, and
explanation for a don’t use enough ARE, and should burn it all the time, with everyone. (Cockerell,
encourage honesty. If you don’t know the truth, you can’t fix problems. Say-
leader. As we’ve all 2008, loc 2635)
ing you had no idea what was going on is never an excuse a good leader
seen, more than a can use. Leaders are always responsible for knowing what’s going on; that’s 1. Spend meaningful time with employees.
few corporate 2. Recognize employees by name. “If you don’t ap-
their job.
executives have 3. Catch them doing something right. preciate, re-
sought in vain to 4. Make it public. spect, and en-
1. Get out and about routinely.
defend themselves 5. Include their families. courage those
2. Get a ground-level view.
by claiming 6. Recognize and encourage good ideas. you lead, they’ll
3. Meet regularly with direct reports.
ignorance of their 7. Give extra ARE to frontline employees. give you only
4. Assemble small groups.
operations. 8. Make ARE a natural part of your routine. halfhearted effort
5. Make them feel safe.
Knowing what’s 9. Watch your language. or, worse, sabo-
6. Probe for the whole story.
going on is your tage you or
7. Answer the tough questions.
responsibility, and if leave you high
8. Get formal feedback for yourself.
something goes and dry. Great
9. Constantly evaluate your spending.
seriously wrong, Appreciation, respect, and en- acting the way leaders intend. By rec- leaders know
you’ll always wish couragement form a powerful fuel ognizing employees publically, it can that, and they
you’d had the One of the best ways for lead- truth. Small groups can be useful as
that can improve all aspects of your send the same message to many oth- look for opportu-
information to ers to learn the truth about their or- well but the information employees
organization. This strategy is inti- ers. By including families in ARE, a nities to give out
prevent it.” ganization is to be present in all fac- share in small groups will be different
mately tied to strategy #2 (Make Your leader will greatly increase loyalty. the free fuel of
(Cockerell, 2008, ets of the business. This means a than the information they are willing
People Your Brand) because it is all The workers on the front line, ARE in an au-
loc 277) good leader will ignore no area of the to share in a one-on-one session.
about creating a positive climate in meaning those who work directly with thentic, specific,
company and will not squirrel them- Employees will only be open
your organization by valuing employ- customers need more ARE than oth- and timely man-
selves away in their office. The best and honest if they feel safe to do so.
ees in a daily, positive way. If an or- ers because they are the ones that ner.”
way to know what it feels like to be a Good leaders will ensure the climate
ganization can develop a culture of make the impression for your compa- (Cockerell, 2008,
customer in your business is to go out is such that honesty is always appre-
ARE it dramatically improves employ- ny. loc 2649)
ee satisfaction and morale. According Leaders need to choose vo-
and actually be a customer every ciated and rewarded.
to Cockerell, you can never use too cabulary carefully because words re-
once in a while. Finally, it is critical that leaders
much ARE. ally do have an impact on any mes-
Leaders need to meet regular- learn accurate financial information
ARE can be used whenever sage.
ly one-on-one with employees, partic- so they can respond correctly and
employees are being successful and And finally, pirates love ARE!
ularly direct reports, and dig for the avoid massive problems.
 Strategy#8: Strategy#9:
Stay Ahead Of The Pack Be Careful What You Do And Say
“The point is, if you
want to be a great “At the end of
leader, you need to the day, there
stay on top of Employees are always watching and learning from what leaders say and do. are no untold
Every leader must stay up-to-date with anything that might affect their busi-
progress, not No matter the time of the day, what you’re doing, or when you’re doing it, you stories. If you’re
ness. Whether it’s technological or social, new trends must be recognized,
become a dinosaur have an opportunity to be a role model – either positively or negatively. a leader, the sto-
adapted to, and exploited when possible.
that is hopelessly ries that are told
out of step with the 1. Demonstrate a passionate commitment to your role. about you matter
1. Be a knowledge sponge.
times. That means 2. Do what it takes to get the job done. a great deal be-
2. Fill in your gaps.
being voracious in 3. Set high standards. cause they de-
3. Master business fundamentals.
the pursuit of 4. Have a positive attitude. termine your rep-
4. Learn from the best.
knowledge, paying 5. Look and carry yourself like a professional. utation, and, as
5. Learn from your competitors.
attention to 6. Be a full-time professional – even when the curtain is down. my mother used
6. Keep up with your colleagues.
everything going on 7. Model personal ownership. to say, “You have
7. Study your customer base.
around you, and 8. Don’t lose your sense of humor. to protect your
8. Follow the compass.
constantly 9. Be a great partner. reputation be-
9. Expand your horizons.
expanding your 10. Stay humble. cause it’s the on-
10. Keep the people you lead ahead of the pack.
frame of reference ly one you have.”
so you can When your repu-
enhance your tation is tar-
A great leaders is always economics. If possible, leaders nished, you lose
business with new learning. By being a knowledge should find experts and learn from A great leader will always takes to get the job done, no matter
and better ways of your credibility,
sponge they can constantly learn and them. If your competition is doing bet- demonstrate commitment to their job what that is, but they always keep a
doing things. In and when your
stay up-to-date with current technolo- ter than you in some area, examine and pride in their work. They will set sense of humility alive within them-
other words, you credibility goes,
gy, and societal trends. Any infor- their business practices and learn high standards and meet those stand- selves. That means owning mistakes
need to stay ahead you lose the one
mation can be used to improve the from them. ards. When they do this, they are act- when they are made and staying
of the pack.” thing leaders
business. A strong leader knows their ing as role models for the entire or- humble at all times.
(Cockerell, 2008, need most: the
Every person has gaps in their customers and they are aware of ganization. Passion for the job will “Professionals take their work
loc 2890) trust of the peo-
knowledge and skills. A good leader trends in the marketplace. If you do influence those who see that passion very seriously, but they don’t take
ple you lead.”
knows this and works to improve not know what your customers want, and a positive attitude is contagious. themselves too seriously” (Cockerell,
(Cockerell, 2008,
those skills and plug those gaps. you can’t ensure you can give it to Leaders must behave to this high loc 3305). Humour can make the
loc 3187)
Leaders should always try to improve them. standard all the time—not just when workplace fun and it can reduce
themselves in all areas, but it is par- Finally, make sure your em- they are on the job—because you stress. Employees who have fun on
ticularly important that leaders are ployees have the opportunity to im- never know when someone is watch- the job are employees who are loyal
experts in business fundamentals prove as well. ing you. to the company.
such as budgeting, reporting, and Great leaders do whatever it