I recently finished ‘How To Be Like Walt’ by Pat Williams, ‘with’ Jim Denney. I know you’re busy, so I’ve pulled out the eight main leader learning points from it. Number 2. in the list – believe people are capable of more than they think they are and inspire them to go beyond their comfort zone – is the one that countless interviewees in the book say Walt was supreme at.
1. GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
Don’t be afraid to roll your sleeves up and get out there where the customers are.
Journalist Art Linkletter turned up for a screening of Disney’s new movie Fantasia. He arrived early for the press conference and “found the place empty except for one fellow who was busily arranging chairs.
I said, “When is Walt Disney supposed to arrive?”
He grinned and said, “I’m Walt Disney.”
I said, “You are? Why are you arranging chairs?”
“Well,” he said, “I like to have things just-so.”
* * *
2. BELIEVE PEOPLE CAN DO MORE THAN THEY THINK
“Walt had more confidence in us as artists than we had in ourselves. I’m a sculptor now, but I used to be an animator, and I loved it. I didn’t want to leave animation and go work in the theme parks. But Walt saw me as a sculptor and he sold me on it. He made me believe I could do it. He gave us the confidence to do things we never imagined were possible.”
– Blaine Gibson, Disney sculptor
* * *
3. THERE IS NO BOX
“Today you hear people talk about ‘thinking outside the box’. But Walt would say, ‘No! Don’t think outside the box! Once you say that, you’ve established that there is a box.’ Walt would refuse to accept the existence of the box.”
– Disney historian Jim Korkis
* * *
4. HAVE VISION
Walt Disney died before Disney World in Florida could be completed. On opening day in 1971, almost five years after his death, someone commented to Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” “He did see it,” Vance replied simply. “That’s why it’s here.”
* * *
5. INSPIRE PEOPLE THEN LET THEM GET ON WITH IT
“Walt challenged and inspired you by talking to you. He wouldn’t give you detailed instructions about what he wanted you to do. Instead, he would simply point you in the direction he wanted you to go, then leave the rest up to you. He would get you started on the creative process and inspire you with confidence. As a result, you would go far beyond what you thought you were capable of doing.”
– Band leader Tutti Camarata, whom Disney recruited to set up Disneyland Records (now called Walt Disney Records).
* * *
6. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
“Whenever anyone called him ‘Mr. Disney’ he got upset. It was always Walt. And he always knew your name. In the early days, we didn’t wear name tags, but Walt still called you by your first name. Once he knew your name, he never forgot it.”
– Gary Carlson, Disney Sound Engineer
* * *
7. ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LEARN
“Walt ran the studio like a university. We were learning all the time and a few of us were going to art school at night. Walt would drive us there and pick us up later.”
– Les Clark, Disney animator
* * *
8. STOP BEING AFRAID
“The rest of us live in fear. Walt had no fear.”
– Jim Korkis, Disney historian
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