Creating Magic

I recently finished reading Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies From A Life At Disney by Lee Cockerell. A friend purchased the book for me and I was really excited to read it because I’ve always been intrigued by the success of Disney. Anyone who has ever been to one of the Disney theme parks or resorts knows that the strategies employed by Disney really does make for a magical experience.

A few quotes and my take-aways from the book:

• In the first few chapters, Cockerell explains how he came to be VP of Disney and some of the overarching lessons he’s learned. One that really jumped out to me as a “second-chair” leader is that it doesn’t matter what your title is or where you fall in the chain of command, you can be an inflencer over all the levels of your organization (those above and those below you) where you are if you remember that it’s all about people. If you treat people respectfully, and taken a step further, make them feel unique and special, you’ll be able to influence them.
• On organizational structure, Cockerell writes, “Break the mold…hire the best people, inspire them, and pay them every sent they’re worth, but if you don’t give them the right frame work in which to operate, they can’t perform at their best.” “Our primary objective was to empower all Cast Members [Disney employees are known as Cast Members within the organization] and make the most of their talents, and we saw that making the lines of responsibility, authority, and accountability sharper would greatly improve our chances of succeeding.” One of the biggest problems that I see in organizational leadership is the failure to give people authority with their responsibility and to unleash people within the boundaries of that authority.

  “Every individual in your organization should clearly and completely understand what he or she is responsible for, what level of authority he or she has, and how he or she will be held accountable.”

  “If you give people responsibility without giving them the necessary authority to carry out those responsibilities, you are setting them up for failure.”
  Responsibility without authority is one of the leading causes of stress.

• “A great leader never settles for good enough.”
• The better your direct reports, the more of them you can have because they will need very little supervision. Seth Godin says it a lot and Cockerell agrees: Your people are your brand.
• Great leaders are always in a learning mode. Learning about their people, their organization, and their customers. They ask, “What happens on your job that makes you want to quit?” and “What do you most want for your department right now?”

  “The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”

  “Those who create magic are constantly on the lookout for tricks that can give them an edge. Remember, the most important skills are hard before they become easy, so don’t shy away from a challenge.”

• ARE: Appreciation, Recognition, and Encouragement are the key.
• Key Communication Take-away: Don’t give speeches, tell stories.

Creating Magic covers a wide-range of organizational and leadership principles, and is in my top 5 most beneficial leadership books of all time.