Be A Yes Person

Jungle Cruise Skipper portrait painting
Writing from Adventureland’s Skipper Canteen.

Be A Yes Person

We understand the ready, fire, aim concept.

But do we live the essential essence of the opposite; intentional and proactive thinking and doing?

Years ago one of my favorite Disney colleagues, Dennis Frare, shared a statement that is one of the most profound truths i’ve ever heard.

To know is to do. To know and not do, is to not yet know.

The value of the following yes-or-no questions is self-evident and irrefutable.

Have fun answering.

  1. i have read at least 24 leadership books?
  2. i am the most passionate student of leadership i know?
  3. i subscribe to, and read, at least two daily leadership blogs?
  4. i have personally written extensively (subjective) about leadership values and behaviors?
  5. i teach leadership to others?
  6. i have a clear, concise, and compelling vision?

These questions are the ticket to the dance. They are in no way all-inclusive. The road to excellence has no finish line.

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

Ready, Fire, Aim

Walt Disney World Steam Train
All aboard.
Writing from a Walt Disney World Steam Train today.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Before you go any further, ask yourself some honest leadership questions.

If you are unable to answer yes to every question, you should rethink your motivation.

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

Stop piling it on

man sitting on rocking chair at Disney
Writing from third and final stop today, Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort.

Stop piling it on

Do an inventory of your business book collection, business email subscriptions, self-improvement Facebook pages you’ve liked, and people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Quit buying business books you’ll never read.

Quit listening to podcasts.

Quit reading blog posts.

Quite surfing LinkedIn and Twitter for the next leadership nugget.

How much leadership information do you need before you can convince yourself you’re confident in your leadership convictions?

And is there anything stopping you from writing a leadership book?

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

Fear is a Liar

Disney's Boardwalk Resort
Writing from Disney’s Boardwalk Resort Convention Center today.

Fear is a liar

Life isn’t fair until you realize it is fair.

Life is unfair to everyone.

Many leaders felt threatened by Judson’s vision. Many thought it was laughable; it will never work.

Many, of which i include myself, thought it was the best thing and the most important thing to ever happen at Walt Disney World.

But the largest group of leaders (roughly 60% in the middle of love and hate) took a wait and see attitude.

This 60% is also known as the wait and see demographic. Cautiously optimistic, but realistically doubtful because they’ve seen promises like this come and go before.

Back to the fear.

The only constant is change.

The more things stay the same, the more things change.

Something is only impossible until the first person does it.

Every leader is responsible for making things better than they found them; to push past fear and doubt and risk.

If you let your guard down, fear will lie to you in an academy award winning performance.

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

The Law of The Inverted Leadership Pyramid

Walt Disney unveiling EPCOT plans
Disney book writing from Epcot’s Innoventions Pavilion.

The Law of The Inverted Leadership Pyramid

Judson Green’s greatest impact on Walt Disney World was helping 6,000 salaried leaders, and tens of thousands of employees (Cast Members) .think .differently about the traditional top-down leadership pyramid model.

His approach was simple.

Flip the pryamid upside down.

Done.

This is the way we will operate from now on.

Get used to it.

Please know it’s not a flavor of the month.

It’s not a knee-jerk reaction to tough economic times.

Quite simply, we are putting the people (Cast Members) who know the most about the job, in charge of being the ones who drive change, improvement, and creative adaptations.

Many leaders felt threatened.

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