Leadership
Excellence
February 22, 2011
“Be careful what you say and do….they are watching you.”
-Lee Cockwell
All About Me…
About you…
Please share:
Your name
Your organization
Your role where you work
A leadership trait that you value
The Power of Story…
Tell your story….if you don’t…
someone else will.
“When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it’s because he’s so
human; and that is the secret of his popularity.”
-Walt Disney
The Leadership Excellence
Model
Envision the Future
Organize the Operation
Engage the Team
Commit to Results
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Leadership Excellence
“Your Situation”
Identify a current situation that requires your
leadership.
Do you do the….
Wrong things wrong?
Wrong things right?
Right things wrong?
Right things right?
of the fur
Envision The Future
Vision-a picture of the future created in
the imagination and motivates people to
action.
When a vision is communicated effectively, it:
• Creates a shared purpose
• Inspires passion
• Sets direction
• Conveys values
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Strategies for
Envisioning the
Future
Determine the strategic direction of
your organization.
If you are a high-level leader:
-Learn everything you can about the forces affecting your industry/market.
-Consult with the various sources you rely on to make decisions.
If you are a mid-level leader:
-Meet with the leaders you report to in order to learn more about your
organization’s direction.
Ask the questions you need to have answered:
-What direction should our organization take?
-What evidence supports this direction?
-How does each area (or my area) help the “us” move in this direction?
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Identify the change required to move
in this direction.
Set a goal describing where your organization (your area of
responsibility) needs to be.
-Keep the organization’s focus on only a few key areas.
-Make the goal challenging and inspiring, yet realistic.
-Consider how attaining this goal leverages your organization’s values.
Analyze “the gap” between where your organization is and where
it needs to be.
-What needs to change in order to close this gap?
-Who needs to be involved in these changes, and how?
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Articulate a vision describing the
change.
Describe the status quo.
-What are the current circumstances?
Describe the change you want to create, and the associated
stakes.
-What does this compelling future look, sound, and feel like?
Describe the obstacles to changing.
-What stands in the way of change?
Make your recommendation or call to action.
-What action do you want taken?
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Communicate the vision to those
involved in carrying it out.
Consider the audience you need to reach with your vision.
-Clarify the needs and expectations of your audience.
-Anticipate how your audience will react and how you will address their reactions.
Identify delivery methods that will get the attention of your audience.
-New visions: select delivery method that indicate that this isn’t “just another mtg”
-Examine additional delivery methods to sustain attention for your vision.
Recognize the parts of your vision that you are the most passionate
about.
-Excitement is infectious; let your audience see your passion for the change.
-Help others understand why this change is important to you & organization.
Incorporate your vision into day-to-day communications.
-Connect ongoing progress back to the vision and values you hold for the
organization.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
of
the
fur
The Leader’s Vision
Develop your vision for the
change you want to create.
Complete Part 1-page 8
Complete Part 2-page 9
Vision Feedback Form-page 10
(Exchange manuals with someone else.)
Duckburg, Inc.
Strategies for
Organizing the
Operation
Identify the work that needs to be
done.
Consider desired outcomes and what must occur in order to
achieve them.
Break down the work into its necessary functions and tasks.
Apply goals and standards to determine work priorities.
-For example, is the work driven by time, quality, or price?
When examining an existing operation, look for work that no
longer has the value it once did; change it or end it.
-Analyze the number of decision layers, is there unnecessary bureaucracy?
-Don’t worry about “the way it has always been”. Be willing to change.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Determine work roles and enlist talent.
For each role, have a clearly defined job description; identify the
deliverables for each job.
Seek out “early adopters”-people who embrace the change and want to
help bring it about.
Make sure candidates have the technical, management, and
interpersonal skills needed to perform.
Select by talent, not by resume. Differentiate the right knowledge and
attitudes from technical skills that can be trained.
Make the hard decisions to remove or recast “wrong-fit talent”.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Establish clear lines of communication,
authority, and accountability.
Clarify each individual’s responsibility and authority within the
scope of their role. Ensure that expectations are clearly
understood.
Make sure employees have someone to “answer to”, not only for
accountability, but also for guidance and leadership.
Let the front line handle the details as long as progress is made
toward goals. Clarify authorities and accountabilities if not.
Verify that the organizational structure supports effective
communication.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Implement appropriate systems and
processes.
When implementing a change, involve stakeholders in the plan for rolling it
out (timelines, deadlines, & deliverables).
When sustaining a change, involve stakeholders in the plan for continuous
improvement. Don’t get comfy with status quo.
-Ask people about the bottlenecks they encounter.
-Ask “why” more often-”Why do we do it that way?” Target questions and ideas to the level
needed to accomplish the task.
Set up systems for monitoring work (deadlines, status checks, approvals).
Ensure that systems and processes work from the employee and budget point
of view.
-Observe employees using systems and processes to determine if the procedures help them
deliver great service.
-Find out which parts of systems/processes make things go wrong or contribute to
inefficiency, and change them.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
It’s Puzzle Time!
Strategies for
Engaging the Team
Transfer power and decision-making
authority.
Make sure roles and authority are clearly understood and agreed upon.
Do not give responsibilities and then take them back.
Allow that things be done differently than you would do, as long as a
quality job gets done.
Ask the people doing the work to champion and administer
improvements.
Train employees to make decisions, and hold them accountable for
doing so.
Know when to get involved in employee decisions, and when not to.
Refrain from micro-managing.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Create an information-sharing
environment.
Listen to the questions that employees ask to identify what information
they need. Start improving that information regularly.
Build employee input into meeting agendas and respond to ideas.
Train employees on how to communicate more effectively.
When counseling employees, differentiate between issues that require
action and those hat merely require listening and advice.
Encourage dialogue and open communication among employees.
Consistently keep the employees informed as to how they are
contributing to results.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Provide opportunities for
development.
Let employees help you develop the core competencies and skills of
the jobs that report to you.
Provide training and personal development opportunities to enhance
job satisfaction and improve performance.
Educate employees on all aspects of the business to help them make
effective decisions.
Encourage employees to gain knowledge and partner with other areas
through cross-utilization opportunities.
Mentor, coach, and train employees on better ways to perform their
jobs.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Allocate the appropriate resources.
Make sure employees have the necessary support system, tools,
and equipment to do their jobs.
Listen to the needs and concerns of employees and use authority
to make changes.
Let employees take responsibility for conserving resources and
using them effectively.
Encourage the team to collaborate and innovate to come up with
creative solutions to resources challenges.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Strategies for
Committing to Results
Set goals and standards.
Work collaboratively to set challenging goals for the team and
individual team members; strive for continuous improvement.
Break high-level or long-term goals into strategic “milestone”
goals.
Recognize how your standards for quality, efficiency, service,
safety, convenience, etc., contribute to long-term business results
and your reputation in the marketplace.
Be open to reinventing the goals and standards so they can be
more effective at helping you achieve your vision.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Measure, observe, and communicate
results.
Know the key drivers of your business and measure what’s
important. Do not waste resources on measuring things that are
not important.
Measure the low-level “leading indicators” when they can help
you determine progress toward high-level strategic goals.
Employ systems that allow employees to take ownership of
measurement.
Communicate results regularly and appropriately-individual
results privately, team results publicly.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Provide feedback and recognition.
Let people know immediately when you catch them “doing the right”
and remind them how their performance makes a difference.
Make no secret of your expectations for performance; build
performance expectations and observations into regular one-on-one
meetings.
Always tie feedback and recognition back to goals, standards, and the
values of the organization.
When addressing a challenging development situation, offer ongoing
coaching or additional resources to improve performance.
Conduct regular performance reviews that are firm, objective, and
consistent.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Persevere.
Anticipate problems and resistance; stay focused on solutions.
Solicit ideas from employees at all levels on how they would
improve things.
Seek guidance and advice from mentors who have faced
challenges similar to what you are facing.
Celebrate milestone goals and other forms of team progress to
build and maintain momentum.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Leadership Behaviors
Leadership Accountability Matrix
Business Results
Strategies for Leaving
a Legacy
Set the example for others to follow.
Model your organization’s culture and values.
Remember that all roles are essential; treat your fellow employees with
respect.
Acknowledge the differences you have with the values of others; be
open to learning from their experiences.
Strive to exceed expectations.
Be as good as your word; make promises and keep them.
Respond positively to input from others; welcome their feedback and
act on it.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Create relationships for life.
Make a point of meeting and greeting; acknowledge new people rather than
ignoring them.
Design and maintain your schedule so you can be visible.
Recognize the “give and take” that contributes to a collaborative relationship;
be willing to “give” as much as you “take”.
Appreciate and acknowledge people not only for what they do, but also for
who they are; for example, recognize birthdays, company anniversaries, and
promotions.
Provide opportunities for employees to interact and share common
experiences with each other.
Work toward making your adversaries your partners.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Spread excitement and enthusiasm in
others.
Express confidence in yourself and in the abilities of others.
Show an interest in the ideas of others.
Help others to find their “niche”-a role in which they are doing
something they are passionate about.
Demonstrate a passion for your job.
“Rally the troops” and be an eternal optimist and cheerleader.
Help others to understand how they make a difference to their fellow
employees, to the bottom line, and to the customer experience.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Remain true to your values.
Demonstrate to others what you value through consistent behavior and
expression.
Remind yourself of the values you share with your organization.
Adopt as one of your values a commitment to ongoing growth.
Recognize those moments when you act with a “hidden agenda”.
In your daily interactions, emphasize the values you have in common.
Make sure you are doing what you love to do.
Disney Institute Training Manual: The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence
Your Promise
Describe the result
Within 45 days from today…..
Identify the leadership behaviors
In order for this to occur, I must….
People will recognize what I value because….
Each of you is a
VIP!