Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk – especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going – pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways.
Walt Disney
Walt Disney was no stranger to adversity and even failure.
The setbacks, tough times, and even failures of Walt Disney are well-documented. In every case, he led the company bearing his name to greater success in spite of adversity.
March 2020 was a sobering, disconcerting time to be a Cast Member of any Disney organization. As the reality of the COVID pandemic set in, I had conversations with both current and former Cast Members, and to a person, there was been one trait that stood out.
Optimism.
Even when it was hard to see in the increasing numbers of Cast Members laid off, the curtailment of operations, the postponement of work in progress, and the likely cancellation of future planning, optimism is the underlying strength of the Walt Disney Company.
Even now, three years later, there have continued to be many ups and downs.
So where does the optimism come from?
Jim Korkis was a Disney historian and long-time writer and teacher about Walt Disney and the organization he created. Who’s the Leader of the Club: Walt Disney’s Leadership Lessons is a departure for Korkis in that his usual subject matter was about the culture and history of Disney, a topic which he is uniquely qualified to write about.
As a boy, he grew up grew up in Glendale, California, which just happened to be located next to Burbank – the home of the Disney Studios. Korkis was an inquisitive and undaunted fan of Disney who not only watched the weekly Disney television series but took the initiative to write down the names he saw on the end credits.
He matched passion with inquisitiveness and began to look for those names in the local phonebook. Upon finding one, he would call the individual up and ask them about their work. Many were gracious enough to invite Korkis to their homes where he spent hours being enthralled by their stories of their work at the Disney organization.
Fast forward decades, where you will find that Korkis relocated to Orlando FL to take care of aging parents. In his own words,
I got a job at Walt Disney World that included assisting with the professional business programs, where I met many executives who had worked with Walt Disney and been trained by him.
I was often called on to research, design and facilitate customized programs for different Disney clients like Feld Entertainment, Kodak, Toys “R” Us and more that touched on both the connections of the individual companies to Disney history, as well as how Walt did business.
I was tapped to do this work because of my knowledge of Walt Disney and his approach to business.
I got the opportunity to meet with some of Walt’s “original cast.” I was enthralled by their stories and experiences and took detailed notes. Hearing stories about how Walt led and how he expected others to lead with compassion, integrity and common sense made a huge impact on me.
Twenty years later, the result was Who’s the Leader of the Club.
Korkis goes to great lengths to use Walt Disney’s own words, from a variety of published and unpublished interviews, as well as the words of those who personally experienced him in action, to help elaborate and describe the basic concepts.
In doing so, Korkis delivered to us a refreshing breath of fresh air – a business book using the words and actions of a rare genius that are glaringly absent from most organizations today.
68 years after Walt Disney’s death, and on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Disney Company, his achievements and legacy continue to inspire new generations.
In my case, it’s actually to re-inspire older generations! As a Baby Boomer, I grew up with “The Wonderful World of Disney” as a weekly television show. As a child, I was taken to see most of the Disney films of the 60’s and early 70’s. As a teenager, I took myself – and then, once I became a father, took my family to see those movies. Though I only visited Walt Disney World once as a teenager, I maintained a fascination with the Disney organization that has continued to grow through the years.
In the early 2000s my vocational role as a consultant with churches took on a specific niche – a focus on guest experiences. That lead to a Disney immersion of research, books, films, on-site visits, and conversations with Disney Cast Members past and present. Over the past decade plus, I have spent over 100 days on Disney properties from coast to coast – and on the oceans. My Disney library numbers over 475+ volumes – the oldest released in 1939; the newest released in the last few weeks.
Vital to that immersion was the work of Jim Korkis – through his books and writings for and about Walt Disney and the Disney organization.
By his own admission, Who’s the Leader of the Club was the most difficult book Korkis has ever written. That may be true from his perspective, but the words and stories flow off the page and into the reader’s conscience in an almost imperceptible manner.
Leaders of any organization would do well to settle in with Who’s the Leader of the Club, and be prepared for a story-filled journey of insight into one of the most creative geniuses of recent history.
Along with the stories the reader will find seven “lessons” about Walt Disney’s leadership. Best of all, Korkis concludes each of the “lesson” chapters with a one page checklist called “What Would Walt Do?” summarizing the key points in the lesson and a space to write notes.
For those who are more curious about the chapters in the book, here is the Table of Contents:
Section One: Disney And Leadership
- Who Was Walt Disney?
- What Type of Leader was Walt?
- Leaders and Managers: Walt and Roy
- Roy O. Disney and Manager Skills
- Walt Disney and Leadership Skills
Section Two: Leadership Lessons
- Lesson One: Know The Story
- Lesson Two: Share The Story
- Lesson Three: Take a (Calculated) Risk
- Lesson Four: Make ‘Em Laugh
- Lesson Five: Eager To Learn
- Lesson Six: Understand People
- Lesson Seven: Live The Story (Integrity)
Section Three: Additional Guidance
- Walt’s Bad Leadership Traits
- Walt’s Advice to Leaders
- Create Leaders
- Letting People Go
- Walt and Money
- Do You Know Your Story?
- Remembering Walt’s Leadership (Quotes from those who worked for Walt)
- Final Words from Walt (Quotes from Walt not previously used in the book)
- Recommended Reading
- Quotation Sources
Of course, when Korkis wrote the book, he could not have anticipated the uncertainty caused by the disruption to the Disney “kingdoms” around the world by the pandemic in 2020 and the ongoing uncertainties since then.
Disney emerged from the pandemic a greatly-changed organization – and future generations of families – and leaders – will benefit from it. Recent announcements highlight a 60 billion dollar investment in Disney properties around the world. Only time will tell if they come to fruition.
After all, Walt Disney himself went through countless setbacks, and even failures, before the launch of the Walt Disney Company in 1923…
…and look what that has brought to the world in the 100 years since!
What are you waiting for? It’s time to join the “club!”
J. Jeff Kober’s book, “Disney, Leadership, and You” is an excellent work that more than delivers on its title.
Drawing from an inquisitive mind and keen insight, Kober has nearly five decades experience with Walt Disney – from both within and without the company – which provide a very readable, practical, and thoroughly enjoyable leadership book that you will find yourself returning to time and again for just the right nugget to use.
I have known of Jeff for years through his writing, and several years ago was grateful to meet him and engage his services for an immersive park experience with a group I was leading. The warmth, wit, and sheer knowledge of Disney, coupled with his ability to instantly link it to practical applications of my group, was one of the highlights of our experience. That same experience has been translated into this book.
If you are a leader in any size or type of organization, the stories Jeff Kober has captured in “Disney, Leadership, and You” should be a valuable addition to your library, a source of personal encouragement, and a wealth of practical training for both you and your team.
The book is divided into four sections:
- Defining Leadership
- Leaders Attain Results
- Leaders Build Relationships
- Putting It All Together
In those four sections you will find 18 themed chapters, each chock full of leadership principles illustrated with stories of Disney leaders from all ranks. The principles are solid in themselves, but what makes them memorable is the stories of the Cast Members.
The stories and principles perfectly describe how Disney Cast Members create magic each day through their hard work and respect for Walt Disney’s original vision.
You organization is not Disney, but you can learn from their excellence. “Disney, Leadership, and You” is an extraordinary source of lessons and learning to help you make a dramatic impact on why you do, what you do, and how you do it.
Leadership means that a group, large or small, is willing to entrust authority to a person who has shown judgement, wisdom, personal appeal, and proven competence.
Walt Disney
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