Creating Magic
10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
“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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On his way up the career ladder to become Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World Resort, Cockerell freely admits he was such an autocratic young hotel and restaurant manager that he was hit over the head with a beer bottle by an employee he'd treated poorly. This and other incidents (including a bashing with a clipboard) convinced Cockerell to study leadership, which he proceeded to do with gusto throughout his stellar career, ultimately creating the Disney Great Leaders strategies. The author's engaging storytelling brings life and infectious energy to this entertaining and inspiring book, which outlines the processes and rationale behind Disney's employee-driven ethos. Each chapter expounds on the Disney Formula for Success, which Cockerell sums up as "great leadership leads to employee excellence, which leads to customer satisfaction and strong business results." Cockerell's willingness to use his management gaffes as examples not only makes him a likeable narrator but also a credible leader, offering up a mesmerizing view of a career devoted to excellence in customer service, employee empowerment, organizational improvement and responsive leadership.
Customer Reviews
Creating Magic
Throughout the book, Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell, the narrative is clear. Be credible, set expectations, be trustworthy, be ethical with your Team, and in return your Team will have respect for your vision.
Lee Cockerell strongly believes, keeping up with change. Leadership revolves, and new technology becomes available. ”It’s not the Magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it Magic.” By outperforming Guest expectations, we’re teaching our Guest that there need is valuable to us. ”It consists of small, thoughtful, individualized acts of magic, performed by our Cast Members for our Guest.”
Very eye-opening and encouraging!
This book is very good at explaining in a down-to-earth way the steps to and ways of becoming a great leader, and pushed me to work even harder to achieve my goals! I recommend it for people of any business, big or small.
Excellent resource
This is a great Leadership tool that anyone can use. The principles discussed are applicable to most any industry. I recommend highly.