Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney

by Lee Cockerell

Keep up with your colleagues.

Cultivating professional contacts is like going to a lifelong school with a brilliant faculty you can always turn to for knowledge.

Study your customer base.

Follow the compass.

Expand your horizons.

There is always common ground if you look for it.

The point is, wherever you go and whatever you do, pay attention.

Coming up with great ideas is like going fishing: The wider you cast your net, the better your chances of hooking some good ones.

Keep the people you lead ahead of the pack.

Forge strong professional relationships; get to know the experts, and stay in touch with them on an ongoing basis.

“Lee, be careful what you say and do today. They’re watching you and judging you.”

There is a crucial difference between being a professional and being professional.

true professionalism is mainly about attitude and demeanor and the image you project to the world.

Demonstrate a passionate commitment to your role.

True professionals love what they do so much that they get up in the morning inspired by the work that awaits them and eager to tackle the challenges of the day.

Many people talk about having a business life and a personal life, but in reality you have only one life, and the best leaders are passionate about everything in it.

2. Do what it takes to get the job done.

Basically, it means being fully present whenever and wherever your leadership, experience, and professional expertise are required.

Remember, those you lead are always watching, and if they see you doing whatever it takes to get the job done, they will follow your example.

Set high standards.

Tell the people you lead exactly what will happen if they don’t meet performance standards, and be prepared to help poor performers get better.

Have a positive attitude.

Look and carry yourself like a professional.

Be a full-time professional—even when the curtain is down.

True professionals do the right thing in the right way, even when no one is watching.

Model personal ownership.

Don’t lose your sense of humor.

“If we’re not having fun, we can’t be doing our best work.”

Be a great partner.

Stay humble.

Spend the right amount of time on the job, doing the right things in the right ways.

Focus on collaboration rather than conflict in problem solving.

Know when to step back and let others lead.

“Lee, you have to decide what you stand for long before an incident happens, so you’ll be ready to react appropriately.”

“Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.”

the business equivalent of the Hippocratic oath with its famous beginning, “First do no harm,” because managers who humiliate, mistreat, and abuse their employees do harm not just to their companies but to society as a whole.

Anticipating moral and ethical dilemmas and knowing how you’ll respond will prepare you to do the right thing if a situation does arise.

Live your values.

Great leaders not only know what their values are but allow those values to gui...

Honesty: We deal with one another in a straightforward manner.

Honesty is the key building block of trust.

Integrity: We act in a manner consistent with our words and beliefs.

You can’t just give lip service to your principles, morals, and values; you have to live them every day.

Remember, leaders don’t just preach good character; they embody it.

Respect: We treat others with care and ...

Courage. We pursue our beliefs with strength and perseverance.

Openness. We share information freely.

If you do not set an example of openness, you will not be trusted; if you’re not trusted, you won’t have credibility; if you don’t have credibility, you will not have influence; and if you don’t have influence, you’ll be a leader in title only.

Diversity. We seek, value, and respect differences among our fellow Cast Members.

Balance. We strive for stability and vitality in our lives.