How do you define a leader?At Disney, we recognize a leader as anyone who influences change. We expect Cast Members to act as leaders regardless of their role within the company. This commitment to the Disney model of leadership is grounded in four principles: envision the future, organize the operation, engage the team, and commit to the results.Why do leaders fail to influence change?Sometimes leaders attempt to be the person they think their employees expect them to be, as if they were an actor playing the role of a leader. Employees recognize these inconsistent behaviors and become less trusting and sometimes resentful.What is authentic leadership?Authentic leadership is a genuine approach to leadership. Authentic leaders are those whose actions are based on their core values. They are originals.
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In Disney’s Approach to Selection, Training & Engagement, we teach that reinforcing company culture is an important step toward a happy, engaged Cast. This type of culture should be reflected in every step of the hiring and management process, and starts with leadership. As a leader, you have a big job of gaining respect and trust from your employees. In turn, you will be able to lead them effectively and they will thank you for it. In a recent article posted by Entrepreneur, they suggest five ways that you can train yourself to be a great leader. · Keep promises: This will help you maintain credibility. Your employees will only trust you if you give them a reason to.· Dress to influence: Is your appearance consistent with your …… Continue reading →

Dedicating one-on-one time to your employees is an empty gesture unless you are truly listening. As Stephen Covey, author of the best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People put it, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."All too often a leader will fail in their quest to listen because of a stray thought or a preoccupation with formulating a sentence of their own. Of course, truly listening is no simple task. People will ramble out of nervousness and, often unintentionally, dance around the point they are trying to make. But, as Lee Cockerell writes, " … hang in there, because you never know when a glimmer of an idea might shine through."There is another reason to give someone your full attention. Remember our "3 oclock parade" question? The idea that what someone …… Continue reading →

As a leader, you’re trained to identify shortcomings and correct them. It’s a leadership style that singles out deficiencies and, unfortunately, often fails to embolden the behaviors that ought to be encouraged.Employees do their best work when they’re confident, so like a good parent, it’s imperative to accentuate the positive and reinforce it constantly. Put another way:Catch them doing something right.And when you do, provide feedback as quickly as possible. The closer the feedback is to the behavior, the stronger the message. Tell us — has this been true for you, as a leader or as someone being led? What was its effect? …… Continue reading →

At Disney, part of our leadership focus is organizing the operation. An efficient and effective organization shares information, makes decisions, and produces quality work. Of course, this cant all be accomplished simultaneously. Watch Mike Williams, President and CEO of the David Allen Company, as he explains his approach to prioritizing his day. Then, in the comments below, share with us how you might approach organizing and prioritizing your day. Have these efficiencies made an impact for your organization? …… Continue reading →

Leadership in business is a lot like leadership in sports, one of your goals is to bring out the best in your team. Disney recognizes the importance of growing and developing leaders and has taken steps on a global and individual level to support that mission.Because we know that an individual’s behavior is an indicator of what that leader values, it is vitally important that those already in leadership positions model and communicate the behavior that the organization has identified as being of significant value.One way Disney develops leaders on the individual level is with a Performance Development Plan (PDP). The PDP serves several purposes:• Foster feedback: Purposeful, constructive feedback and encouragement from an alternative perspective must be a part of this development process.  Understanding you opportunities for improvement leads to our second purpose.• Build Accountability: The likelihood of reaching your goals in …… Continue reading →

Change can be difficult. Such was the case when a new washing machine with a higher hourly throughput was purchased for a textile center at a Walt Disney World facility. Cast Members were concerned that the automation of the machine would result in fewer working hours and eventually cost them their roles.Leadership listened and took the opportunity to sit down with the Cast Members working at the facility. The Cast Members provided feedback, expressed their concerns and listened to information provided by leadership regarding the use of the new machine. Because the Cast Members had been included as a part of the transition process and reassured that their roles were not endangered, the change was met with excitement and anticipation.Including your front line employees as a part of the transition process is evidence of your genuine care for their happiness and can translate into not only happier employees, but happier Guests.Tell us about ways that you have se …… Continue reading →

The end of a month, a season, and a year all mark a natural time for reflection as well as an opportunity to set goals and start anew. Like the coming of age, leadership is a process of growth that requires constant adjustment.So, with the opportunity for a fresh start before you, take a moment to consider what you’re doing well and should continue to do, and what might present an opportunity for change. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:Surrender: The subject of this Forbes article, Contributor Mike Myatt points out how a focus on control in a leadership role “restricts potential, limits initiative, and inhibits talent.”  Leaders who surrender their control and place their attention on communit …… Continue reading →

Whether your organization is a startup or an established player, hiring the right team can mean the difference between making it and breaking it. In a recent article, a Forbes contributor and business owner offered five tips for building a exceptional team.1. Hire people "better than you." Know your strengths and weaknesses and find people who can fill those holes.2. Recognize aptitude and attitude in potential hires. A balance between the two needs to be struck.3. Use happiness as a motivating factor. You’ve found the person you want to hire, how can you get them to join your team? Offer potential hires a higher happiness quotient than they’ve been offered elsewhere. Happy people = productive people.To ensure a more seamless transition, some businesses keep a file of potential qualified candidates should one of their team members depart their current position. Were interested to know your team-building tips. How do you hire the best and …… Continue reading →

In today’s business environment, change is guaranteed and constant. To survive and thrive, a leader cannot merely react to change; he or she must anticipate change and proactively plan for it. The Leadership Excellence Model begins with a very simple definition: a leader is anyone who influences change.There are four key functions each leader must perform in order to facilitate change:• Envision the FutureCreate a picture of the change that needs to occur and communicate your vision with a passion.• Organize the OperationIdentify what needs to get done to bring about the change and put the right people in place to execute.• Engage the TeamActively involve people in the work and let them take ownership of their contribution to the change.• Commit to ResultsPut accountability measures in place to ensure progress is made toward t …… Continue reading →