Great Leadership Categorically Changes Everything

Disney author Jeff Noel on iPhone at Carousel of Progress
Writing from Tomorrowland today.

Great Leadership Categorically Changes Everything

Do you want to lead the category or do you want to become the category?

After you read the next sentence, ask yourself what your organization (or you if you can’t influence an entire company) would have to do differently to have your customers and employees feeling it, talking about it, and loving it?

Be the category.

Imagine being a category of one.

No one else does what you do in the way you do it and your customers (and employees) love you for it.

Great leadership categorically changes everything.

Yes or no?

Please remember we aren’t talking about good and very good leadership. At Disney we have a saying, “Good and very good aren’t good enough.”

Be the category.

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How Does Disney Lead?

Walt Disney World's Sun Trust Building
Today’s Disney writing from the Sun Trust Building. This building served as Walt Disney World Corporate Headquarters from 1971-1989. The Team Disney Building became WDW HQ in 1989.

How Does Disney Lead?

The harsh reality is that satisfaction is dangerous.

At Disney, we are never satisfied.

Every day, all day, we are focused on exceeding expectations at every customer and employee touch point.

Sound like your organization?

Never satisfied?

Never.

Satisfied.

A world-class organizational leadership culture must set a standard so high, it literally guarantees competitive immunity.

Think about it and imagine your organizational leadership being intentional and relentless about clearly outdistancing your competition.

Now imagine how aiming for solid customer and employee “satisfaction” scores on your surveys.

Satisfaction is not the goal.

Exceeding expectations is the goal.

World-class leadership excellence is the goal.

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This website is about our MIND. To read today’s post about our BODY, click here.

Lead Like You Mean it

Disney's Casting Center
Writing from Disney’s Casting Center, mid-October, 2016.

Lead Like You Mean it

If you are accused of being a great leader, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

When i say lead like you mean it, i mean, and sorry if this feels uncomfortable, does the level of inspiration rise when you show up? Does it remain high when you’re not there?

What if it did on both accounts?

Here’s the harsh reality, it’s not the Disney Magic that makes it work, it’s the hard work that makes it Magic.

Nothing substitutes for focus, discipline, and a clear, concise, and compelling vision.

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This website is about our MIND. To read today’s post about our BODY, click here.

If You Need Inspiring Words, Don’t Do It

Writing today from Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World.

If You Need Inspiring Words, Don’t Do It

Be so clear about the leadership excellence you want to architect, build, and grow that nothing can extinguish your fire.

Burn the ships.

If what you’re doing doesn’t make our world better, you’ll know it because you’ll keep hitting your snooze button.

And if hitting the snooze button is your modus operandi (yes, it’s criminal), no amount of inspirational quotes and anecdotes will ever move the needle.

Positive, uplifting quotes are wonderful. They give us the same warm and fuzzy feeling a shot of whiskey provides to an alcoholic. But you’ll never see anyone world-class doing shots before they do important, inspiring work.

Our goal is to literally jump out of bed at the first chiming of our morning ringtone and welcome the brand new day like we’re welcoming the most important day of our life.

Is boldness genius?

You could Google it to research who said it (like it even matters), or you could say it and get to work – like you mean it (which matters more than anything).

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This website is about our MIND. To read today’s post about our BODY, click here.

Disconnect From Hope and Enthusiasm

Epcot's Japan pavilion
Dual purpose visit.

Disconnect From Hope and Enthusiasm

Connect to hard work.

The only way to become a better leader – and stay a better leader – is to outwork your previous self.

The others around you aren’t your competition, although we are tempted to live in that paradigm.

Our old habits of banking on hope and enthusiasm, yet not being willing to .think .differently will fail us.

We must become an insatiable student and a remarkable teacher of leadership excellence.

Then we’ll come full circle and we can again embrace hope and enthusiasm.

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This website is about our MIND. To read today’s post about our BODY, click here.