Creating Magic:
10 common sense leadership strategies from a life at Disney
Author: Lee Cockerell
Published by: Doubleday
You can’t expect to produce Mickey or Cinderella or Goofy in your lobby to brighten up your cranky clients, but according to Lee Cockerell, you don’t need them.
Cockerell’s magic comes from combining common sense with a strong understanding of human nature, then applying it to relations with guests, staff and leaders. The former Executive Vice President of Operations at Disney World Resort didn’t arrive at the magic place easily.
An Oklahoma farm boy, he came via cooking school to the hospitality business, learning the hard way about being a leader in the Hilton and Marriott chains. A few stitches in his face following run-ins with disgruntled employees helped him re-evaluate his management style. (And he did have some very good mentors.)
His leadership strategies are mostly based on treating guests and staff “with utmost care and respect.” Cockerell believes these strategies contribute to Disney’s 70 per cent return rate among visitors and the lowest employee turnover of any major company in the hospitality industry.
Entertaining and practical, this is a great read for retirement residence leaders who know they should branch out more towards the hospitality side of their business. But it is also a plea for better understanding of staff requirements. Leaders thrive once they figure out that employees need appreciation, encouragement and understanding. Cockerell nails these fuzzy words down with concrete examples as he goes through strategies for hiring, training, building structure, eliminating hassles and moving into the future.
You might like your boss to read this book too.
About Muriel Duncan
