Implementing the Disney Great Leadership Strategies

Creating Disney Magic

There was a time when I was running Walt Disney World when I was frustrated we were not improving customer service quick enough. At the same time, we were not moving quickly enough to build trust with cast members.

That was when I developed the Disney Great Leader Strategies. You can find the 10 Great Leader Strategies in my book, Creating Magic.

Our Great Leader Strategies moved Disney World from being good to great. Or great to greater.

Developing the strategies was one thing. Getting everyone on board was another thing.

In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I share the story behind the implementation of the Great Leader Strategies to over 40,000 cast members.

I began by spending 4 hours with my direct reports, explaining each strategy and explaining what my expectations were. From there, each of them had 3 weeks to pass the Great Leadership Strategies on to their direct reports. And so it went until every cast member had been trained.

Too often, when an organization wants to implement a new policy or procedure, or even make a drastic change like we did at Disney World, a leader will just issue a memo. Without proper communication, hope is all you have to rely on.

For change to take hold, you have to roll it out slowly with great detail. Communication is the key.

The best definition of communication is clarity. Without clarity, people will not understand what you expect and what they need to do.

You can find the Teacher's Guide for Creating Magic here.