“To all who come to this happy place, welcome!” - Walt Disney
Walt Disney was a visionary whose goal was
to bring magic to the lives of children and their families. He achieved this through
his unparalleled storytelling in animation, motion pictures, and fantastical
and highly innovative theme parks. Walt knew that his success was dependent on focusing
on what the people wanted, and then bringing it to life (Contributor,
Disney Institute Brandvoice: Leadership lessons from Walt Disney: Perfecting
the customer experience 2020). This was one of the many business philosophies that separated Walt
Disney from mediocre leaders of his day.
Walt
Disney believed that the only way to truly know what people wanted was to ask
them directly. He insisted that his staff go out among the crowd and mingle.
They should also try to experience the park just as their customers experience
it. One example tells of Disney instructing his management team to wait in line
for food with their customers at lunchtime. Their assignment was to engage with
the people to find out firsthand if their expectations had been met. If not, they
must ask for ideas on how to improve the experience (The
Walt Disney Company 2023). One of
Walt’s most fundamental lessons was to get out there and listen to the people
directly.
Walt Disney was very charismatic and
had the ability to make those around him feel like honored guests. Making each
person feel special goes a long way toward perfecting the customer experience.
Walt felt that making someone feel special was achieved by paying attention to even
the smallest details. “Where other organizations let things happen, we must be
intentional in our actions” (Adams, Leadership lessons from
visionaries, part one: Walt Disney 2021).
Walt
was passionate about his work, and he surrounded himself with like-minded,
creative, and innovative individuals. Walt believed that a project was made
significantly better by incorporating ideas from experts within multiple specialties
rather than relying on input from just one source (King,
2023). Walt’s demand for
excellence often inspired those around him to exceed the boundaries of what was
thought to be beyond imagination. One outcome was Epcot Center which
highlighted an experimental utopian society of the future. The results of
Disney’s collaborations captivated young and old dreamers alike. This was yet
another important lesson for entrepreneurs and business developers on how to do
business.
Walt Disney believed another aspect of a successful
business depended on clarity of vision and being able to precisely communicate
that vision to others. One story goes that Walt gave his animators money to go
out to eat. His instructions were to come back relaxed, clear-minded, and ready
to hear him out on a brand-new idea…he didn’t tell them what. Upon their
return, the group found themselves mesmerized by Walt’s wholehearted and
enthusiastic portrayal of characters from a fantastic fairy tale.
It was clear that Walt intended for them to
feel both the magic and the potential of the story as he did. Had he merely
presented his idea in a mundane speech around the lunchroom table his cohorts
would surely not have received his vision with the same enthusiasm.
Without the right presentation, families
may never have experienced the majesty of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.
Once production had begun, Walt insisted on
creating a specific look which often required careful thought on how to produce
what he wanted. “Walt was not afraid to take the necessary time, years even, to
create specialized equipment to get the job done. In the end, he believed the
results were worth it” (Jones, 2015). The full-length animated movie was released in 1938 and
went on to win numerous awards; it is truly a national treasure.
I chose Walt Disney as my second research
subject (I wrote this for a college project) because he is someone I am generally familiar with and because he
continues to inspire people from all over the world to this day. I find him a
fascinating person even by today’s standards.
There is something I would like to add
here. From a young age, I have had an interest in art. At one time I considered
attending the Walt Disney Animation Studios School of Art and then staying on
to work for Disney. What changed my mind is the fact that any cartoon character
that is made while employed at Disney becomes Disney’s property. During my research I found that this same scenario happened to Walt with one of his first characters, so I don’t understand why such a seemingly kind man would continue a tradition that
he himself felt was unfair…unless that rule came after he was gone. I suppose
when it comes down to it, business is business.
References
Contributor, D. I. (2020, February 4). Disney
Institute Brandvoice: Leadership lessons from Walt Disney: Perfecting the
customer experience. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/disneyinstitute/2020/02/04/leadership-lessons-from-walt-disney-perfecting-the-customer-experience/
The Walt Disney Company. (2023, December
12). https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/
Adams, B. (2021, February 1). Leadership
lessons from visionaries, part one: Walt Disney. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-lessons-from-visionaries-part-one-walt-disney-bob-adams
King, F. (2023, September 13). The Walt
Disney Principle: How hope fuels the journey to your dreams. Medium. https://medium.com/@fayaz_king/the-walt-disney-principle-how-hope-fuels-the-journey-to-your-dreams-e29d41ed455d
Jones, A. (2015, May 7). The making
of snow white and the Seven dwarves. Thinking Animation. https://thinkinganimation.com/the-making-of-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarves-2/
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