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

by Lee Cockerell

Whenever you suggest major structural changes, some people in the organization will invariably fight it. Some folks are simply uncomfortable with change and cling to the status quo. Others fear that when the dust settles, they’ll be among the casualties. Great leaders listen to those objections seriously and pay attention to reasonable arguments. But when they think they’re on the right track, they don’t let the resistance of others stop them from doing what they believe in. It’s vital therefore to anticipate resistance, accept it, and

honor it, but if you’ve done due diligence and you’re sure you’re on the right course, don’t be afraid to stick to your convictions.

Because people naturally resist change, great leaders orient their people not only to expect change but to welcome it. In fact, they take it a step further: They train people to look for positive ways to initiate change.

I needed to reach both their hearts and minds with this message: It is time for us, as leaders, to step up and try new ways to structure our organization. I knew if I got it right, it would set the stage for the positive transformation of the company. But while working on the script, I hit a dead end. I just couldn’t think of a powerful way to convince managers that breaking the mold was necessary.

“People like change until it shows up at their doorstep.”

People don’t always recognize the merits of change right off the bat. But if you persist, they’ll soon come

to see why breaking the mold is not only in the best interest of the company but in their best interest as well, and they may even follow your example by initiating changes themselves.

While leaders need to be persistent and determined in the face of resistance, they also have to be flexible enough to fine-tune their vision at every step.

Nobody likes to work for leaders who use their positions to go after personal victories at the expense of the organization’s long-term health.

Once you have a great structure in place, don’t rest on your laurels. No matter how good you think your design is or how proud you are of it, stand prepared to change it again if the circumstances demand it.

The innovative structure you put into place one year will be “the way things are” the next. In fact, to the newer people in your organization, they will be “the way it’s always been.”

If you don’t continuously re-evaluate your structure, you run the risk of becoming the old-timer who resists change. And the moment you do, someone with a fresh perspective will be ready to replace you—especially in this day and age, when technology constantly forces us to adjust the way work is performed and managed.

It’s not always obvious when a structural change is called for, especially when business is good. However, if you don’t question the status quo, you’ll be forced to change under pressure once it’s obvious that your structure is no longer working.

Sometimes the best ideas come when things are rolling along just fine and you need to take the next leap forward.

If you have created a culture of change, in which everyone from top to bottom is empowered to find creative ways to improve the organization, you’ll be better able to adjust to unexpected events and emergencies.

ACTION STEPS Use these two checklists to evaluate whether the structure of your organization is working well or it might be time for a change. The current structure is successful if: The operation runs fluidly in your absence. The lines of accountability, responsibility, and authority are clear. Decisions are made easily and efficiently. Information flows to all levels smoothly. Answers get to the right people quickly. The current structure is not working if: People complain about wasted time, unclear roles, and miscommunication. Too many people get involved in every decision. Ineffective workers “hide” within the system. There are too many or too few direct reports per manager. Meetings are overly long, too frequent, or unproductive.

No matter how good your products and services are, you can’t achieve true excellence unless you attract great people, develop great people, and keep great people.

Like practicing good preventive medicine, hiring and promoting the right people will spare you a lot of painful and costly problems.

Define the perfect candidate.

The ability to lead is something to look for in everyone you consider hiring, no matter what the position is.

When filling a position, don’t look for a replica of the person who’s leaving; different times often call for different skills and experience, even if the job title remains the same.

So don’t just look in the obvious places, and don’t reject candidates out of hand simply because they don’t square with the standard profile for that job. If they have the competency to perform well and the leadership ability to inspire others, don’t hold their unconventional backgrounds against them.

Select by talent, not by résumé. When you read a résumé, always keep in mind who wrote it. An estimated 40 percent of résumés are said to contain exaggerations in such areas as educational background and previous job titles, responsibilities, and accomplishments.

So read résumés with a skeptical eye, and don’t take falsifications and exaggerations lightly. Deceptiveness is usually a far worse sign than whatever shortcoming a candidate is trying to cover up.

Bottom line: Your organization’s culture is the product of the people in it, and every addition and subtraction will alter the chemistry. Do everything you can to keep it harmonious.

No matter how smart or talented you are, there will always be someone who is better than you in at least one important aspect of your work. Insecure leaders run from these people; great leaders seek them out.

So, if you find yourself doubting whether a prospective hire is the right fit, make sure you’re not hesitating because you fear he or she might draw the spotlight away from you. Hire the absolute best. Their brilliance will not diminish your reputation; it will make you shine even brighter.

At the Disney hiring center, which is called Casting, a video is shown to all potential hires before they are interviewed. The movie highlights the Disney heritage and traditions; provides an overview of the compensation plan, benefit package, and perks; and describes the policy on scheduling and other practical issues. It also outlines what the company expects by way of professionalism, right down to the strict grooming standards that Cast Members are held to. Some applicants get up and leave without bothering with the interview. The film not only serves as a great orientation for eventual employees but also saves the company the high cost of hiring, training, and replacing people who would ultimately prove to be wrong for the job.

Remember, well-rounded people who want balanced lives will ultimately be more productive than workaholics with no interests outside the office.

But whenever possible, give candidates an opportunity to strut their stuff.

Far too often leaders act as though they were in the business of filling jobs quickly, rather than of filling them with the very best people and then developing them for greater responsibility. So don’t succumb to a false sense of urgency, thinking, “I have to pick one of these available people so I can fill this job right away,” or, “This selection process is taking up too much time. Let’s get it over with.” Take all the time you need—for your sake, for the candidates’ sake, for the sake of the people who have to work with them, and for the sake of your organization.

What if you’re on the fence about hiring someone and you’re getting impatient? Try this: Imagine that the person is your leader. Can you see yourself working for him or her? If you can’t, then keep on looking. I knew I had mastered the art of hiring once every person who reported to me was someone I would gladly report to myself.

Look for people to nurture and promote.

First the managers would have one-on-one meetings with every person who worked for them and look for signs of leadership potential: intelligence, self-direction, initiative, good relationship skills, high energy, and positive attitude.

We told them to find curious people who strove for performance excellence; who wanted to grow and learn and take on more responsibility; who went to school and took classes to better themselves; who were always reliable, on time, and didn’t whine when they were asked to stay late or come in early. We also told them to find out which frontline Cast Members played the role of go-to person for their coworkers, since groups tend to self-select people with natural leadership skills.

Constantly evaluate performance.

Recognize when the job doesn’t fit the talent.

Figuring out what to do with employees who don’t fit is one of the hardest things for leaders to do, yet it’s one of the most important things for them to do. Like an actor cast in the wrong part, if an employee is clearly unable to perform his or her role, you have to do what directors do: Replace the person with someone more appropriate, or else the whole performance will bomb.

At Disney we thought that if people were good enough to be hired or promoted in the first place, they deserved to be given another chance to excel.

People who are promoted to an ill-fitting position usually know pretty quickly that it’s not their thing, but they don’t necessarily speak up. For one thing, they might be too embarrassed to admit it; for another, they like the salary, prestige, and perks of the new position.

Terminate quickly and kindly. Naturally, there are times when you can’t find an appropriate place for someone who no longer has value in his or her current position. Letting him or her go is extremely tough, but in the long run it’s usually best for everyone to do so.

“A leader’s job is to do what has to be done, when it has to be done, in the way it should be done, whether you like it or not and whether they like it or not.”

If someone is not performing well, you owe it to

everyone on the team, as well as the company as a whole, to change the lineup as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Don’t lose touch with those you lose.

Keep in touch with great employees who leave.

No matter what kind of company you run, your people are your brand; if you don’t have good people, no amount of marketing, advertising, or PR will make up for it. This is why it is crucial for you as a leader to learn how to hire, promote, and nurture the very best people out there.

When an organization can perform that well in a crisis, it’s because its employees have been thoroughly trained.

Once you have the right people in place, your task as a leader is to give them everything they need to excel. My son, Daniel, once told

me, “Dad, you can’t fire your children; you have to develop them.” Well, if leaders applied that wisdom to their employees, they’d find that a lot fewer of them quit or get fired. Like good parents, good leaders prepare their people to take on future responsibilities by providing appropriate educational opportunities and exposing them to important developmental experiences.