The Magic Kingdom
My first visit to Disney
The first time I visited Disney World or Florida for that matter was in 1976. I was 19 years old, and went with my girlfriend and her child, who I later married and adopted, respectively. Bryan was two years old. The day we spent at Disney was the only trip during that entire vacation where it didn’t rain that week. It took me a long time to learn to appreciate Florida. I thought it was as rainy as Seattle!
Today, I live in Florida. I visit Orlando several times a year for various business meetings, conferences, or events. The growth in Orlando and Florida since 1976 is nothing less than mind-boggling. It is a much different state than it was back then. More crowded. More urbane. More expensive. Quite often, visiting Orlando can be burdensome because of the volume of tourists and traffic.
Despite all that, I am more excited about visiting Orlando this week than I have been at any time since my first visit in 1976.
Why?
Inside the Disney Institute
I received a very pleasant surprise in my email inbox just about a week ago when Stacy Thomson, Public Relations Manager for the Disney Institute sent me an invitation to attend a 5 day full session program at the Disney Institute along other HR writers and experts including Mark Stelzner, Michael Long, and Alicia Arenas for a very insiders look at the Disney Institute. We will be attending a program called “Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence“.
According to the Disney Institute web site, the course teaches leaders that:
Employees are constantly reading management for direction about shared values, beliefs, and strategies. In Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence, one of the five core topics featured at Disney Institute, you’ll learn that in the Disney organization, leaders at every level are constantly aware that they’re “telling a great story;” one that consistently complements and pursues the goals of the entire corporation.
Whether subtle or overt, behaviors demonstrated by employees – in particular those in management roles – are instrumental in conveying values, guiding strategy, and inspiring passion and interest. When practiced, the effect is far more powerful than merely directing employees to adhere to company policy. Positive actions consistently tell the story not only of who you are, but of the behaviors you value. When you convey a shared and meaningful purpose, in time employees will naturally follow the storyline you’ve written.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Discover leadership strategies and best practices that can be adapted to any organization.
- Explore the Disney methods for leadership development.
- Learn how accountability is needed to align organizational values and individual leadership values and behaviors.
We are also going to get a special inside look at some behinds the scene Disney stuff, and opportunities for networking with leaders of the Disney Institute. They are working on a number of partnerships including one with Harvard University and a series of web casts in conjunction with HR.com.
I hope you will follow my posts here, as well as my tweets which can be followed with the hashtag #DisneyI. Please let me know if you would like me to explore a specific topic for you.
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I have heard great things about the Disney Institute. I hope you are going to post your observations. Enjoy.
Hi Mike. What is it about that Disney music on your video? It automatically transports me to Sunday nights in my PJ’s curled up on the floor in front of the TV at my parents house. Now that Dad is quite aged and Mom is gone it actually almost brings me to tears. Nostalgia.
New blog look is great, Mike. Hope the Disney Institute is interesting and worth while.