Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney Best Review
This is both the story of author Lee Cockerell’s career, particularly the Disney phase and the leadership strategies he and others developed for the Disney Institute, a learning and development centre for current and future leaders (initially for Disney employees, but now also for public students).
The first two chapters are real page-turners. I couldn’t wait to read the next episode in Cockerell’s personal development as a manager and leader. His writing is personal, humble and most importantly, illuminating. The stories of the mistakes he made as a manager and how he developed strategies to avoid them in the future, would be particularly useful for any new or even experienced manager.
The following three quotes in the early part of the book stood out for me. They perhaps best illustrate Cockerell’s thoughts on leadership and provide a flavour of Cockerell’s philosophy:
“No one ever explained to me the difference between managing and leading. I wish someone had; it would have spared me a lot of anguish.”
“Despite the amazing variety of human beings out there, all everyone wants is to feel special, to be treated with respect, and to be seen as an individual.”
” . . . managerial skills are absolutely essential for getting results, but they are not enough to drive excellence. Excellence requires common sense leadership.”
The remainder of the book goes on to outline the 10 leadership strategies on which the Disney Institute learning is based and which presumably, Disney managers apply.
So, the book is in two parts – personal story-telling and advocating the best way to lead.
I found the second part much slower than the first. Each chapter starts with an explanation of one of the 10 strategies and proceeds through a list of practical suggestions for implementing the strategy. For the most part, there are plenty of examples to illustrate. However, as with any book that has “7 habits …”, “10 steps to …”, “101 ways to …” one has to be in the appropriate state of readiness to appreciate and/or apply these. I can see why the book is used extensively as a resource and study text at the Disney Institute.
Overall, I liked this book for two reasons. Firstly, it is practical with plenty of real life examples to illustrate the “how to” (or “how not to”). Secondly, it is written by someone who has spent his entire work life managing, not by a so called management guru. It was a shame therefore that for me, this credibility was tarnished just a little by the blatant ad for the Disney Institute in the last couple of pages – I was already sold!
I’d recommend this book for new and not so new managers to use as both a personal motivator and a “how to” develop essential leadership skills. Should you buy the book as a learning tool, my suggestion would be to read the first couple of chapters straight away, then focus on one of the 10 leadership strategies, each spread over an extended period.
Bob Selden, author What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney Feature
- ISBN13: 9780385523868
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Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney Overview
“It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”
The secret for creating “magic” in our careers, our organizations, and our lives is simple: outstanding leadership—the kind that inspires employees, delights customers, and achieves extraordinary business results.
No one knows more about this kind of leadership than Lee Cockerell, the man who ran Walt Disney World® Resort operations for over a decade. And in Creating Magic, he shares the leadership principles that not only guided his own journey from a poor farm boy in Oklahoma to the head of operations for a multibillion dollar enterprise, but that also soon came to form the cultural bedrock of the world’s number one vacation destination. But as Lee demonstrates, great leadership isn’t about mastering impossibly complex management theories. We can all become outstanding leaders by following the ten practical, common sense strategies outlined in this remarkable book. As straightforward as they are profound, these leadership lessons include:
Everyone is important.
Make your people your brand.
Burn the free fuel: appreciation, recognition, and encouragement.
Give people a purpose, not just a job.
Combining surprising business wisdom with insightful and entertaining stories from Lee’s four decades on the front lines of some of the world’s best-run companies, Creating Magic shows all of us – from small business owners to managers at every level – how to become better leaders by infusing quality, character, courage, enthusiasm, and integrity into our workplace and into our lives.
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Customer Reviews
Used as a guide at work – Mary E. Carmona –
I work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This book was read by all the Chiefs from all the divisons in our district in L.A. This proved to be a great leadership tool and was made mandatory to purchase by the Chief’s teamleaders.
Aside from all the jokes people make about the government spending money unecesarily, I can tell you that is not true. We are really restricted in our spending to the point where we are not allowed to purchase water for our office. For the district to allow us to purchase these books shows that this book is an incredible leadership too.
Simple, but Important. – W. Wilson – New York
I saw lee speak at a conference, and immediately had to purchase the book. Not only is this book a fascinating look into his life, and his trial and tribulations but he sets the stage for any business owner to be able to be GREAT. Follow his 10 basic steps, and you too can change your organization from one of “follow the leader because I told you so” to “let’s all be leaders”.
I have made this a mandatory read for all managers.
Best practical leadership book ever! – R. M. Traettino – Chicago, Illinois USA
I have completed reading “Creating the Magic” and I have to say it is the best leadership book I have ever read. I have read everything from Drucker to Covey over the years to try to be the best leader I can be. Mr Cockerell’s ten keys to leadership hit home the most for me! I am encouraging everyone on my Executive Staff at my company to read this book. I plan on using the principles of this book to make me a more effective leader.
Magically Successful – Larry Underwood – Scottsdale, AZ
Lee Cockerell, by his own admission, wasn’t a very easy person to work with. After getting whacked on the head a few times with various office supply products, wielded by unhappy co-workers, he got the message: Lighten up. It’s a message many people currently engaged in “business” (including more than a few CEOs) need to heed. Watch out, that next clipboard may have your name on it.
Sometimes it takes a good smack on the head by a clipboard, or a swift kick in the pants, to make us understand that we need to get along with people in order to succeed. That’s such a simple concept, but one that so often is dismissed by so many, especially the higher up the corporate ladder they climb.
Fortunately, Lee Cockerell got the message, loud and clear. The rest is contemporary American business history. He went on to great accomplishments with the Disney empire, simply by learning how to effectively engage with people; especially those working under him.
For anyone looking for the most basic & wonderfully “common sense” approach to leadership, look no further than this terrific book. Read it, and you too, may create some magic.
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