I just finished a huge bio on Walt Disney.
His influence on American culture really is remarkable. By the time of his death in 1966, it is estimated that 240 million people had seen a Disney movie, a weekly audience of 100 million watched a Disney television show, 80 million had read a Disney book, 60 million had visited Disneyland, and 50 million listened to a Disney record.
Several anecdotes from the book are a great commentary on his leadership style. And we could probably learn a thing or two.
Disney loved “making history” by “trying new things.” And he often did it by making new combinations. He was the first to combine sound and cartoons. It’s hard to imagine, but he showed films on a bedsheet in his backyard while trying to make a matching soundtrack. I know we take it for granted now, but sound cartoons were novel then. Part of the genius of Disneyland and Disneyworld is that they were designed like movies scenes and movie sets. He combined his knowledge of film and theme parks to create something for which there was no antecedent. At the end of the day, his creative endeavors were an extension of his personality. Walt Disney never grew up. In fact, he called Disneyland his “sandbox.”
One of the things that made Walt unique was his openness to new ideas. Alot of film executives viewed television as the enemy. Walt viewed it as an ally. In fact, he spent one week in 1947 doing nothing but watching television day and night. He totally immersed himself in that medium. And without an alliance with ABC, Disneyland would have been nothing more than a figment of Walt’s imagination.
Another driving force at Disney, to use their language, was constant plussing. They were never satisfied. They were never finished. And, of course, they didn’t do things halfway. Walt walked every square inch of Disneyland all the time and he noticed everything. He said, “The thing that’s going to make Disneyland unique and different is the detail. If we lose the detail, we lose it all.”
One of my favorite anecdotes epitomizes his creativity ethic. The night before Disneyland opened he had an idea. He wanted to exhibit the giant rubber squid from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the park. The problem was that the latex skin of the squid had deteriorated so they had to restore it and repaint it. Walt himself stayed up with some staffers all night before the Grand Opening to make it happen. I love that.
When it comes to leadership, half the battle is an uncompromising commitment to do it big and do it right. Come hell or high water, great leaders don’t settle for anything less than their best effort. They are relentless. In many ways, great leadership boils down to this: you do whatever it takes to make the dream become a reality. You settle for nothing else. You settle for nothing less.
