presents The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Preprogram Materials Disney
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The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence is an exciting and enlightening program in which you will discover the concepts and strategies that contribute to effective leadership at the Walt Disney World Resort. Included in the program is an exploration of four components of leadership establishing a vision, organizing a team, gaining involvement, and adapting a proactive approach to change. Included within these materials, you will find the following: A preprogram checklist An exercise on leadership and values An exercise on your vision for the future In order for you to make the most of this unique learning opportunity, it is very important that you complete the following preprogram materials prior to your arrival. Please be sure to bring these materials, including each of the items on the Preprogram Checklist, to your first program session. The enclosed materials contain helpful information that will guide you as you prepare for this program. If, after reviewing these materials, you have any questions, please call us at (407) 566-2620. We look forward to your arrival! Disney 3
Disney Institute Preprogram Checklist In order for us to help you make the greatest discoveries about the impact you can make in your organization, it is important that you bring the following items* to the program: G Current organizational vision and/or mission statement G Current divisional or departmental vision and/or mission statement (if applicable) G Current personal vision and/or mission statement G Performance objectives for your business, division, and department, and for yourself G These preprogram materials *Please note that these items will be used exclusively by you in the analysis of yourself and your organization. You will not be expected to share this information with the group. 4 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Leadership and Values In the exercise presented on the following three pages, you will identify the values that both you and your organization hold with regard to leadership. For the purpose of this program, the word value is defined as anything that is considered worthwhile, desirable, or important, either by an organization or an individual. Understanding what is most important to you and your organization is critical in creating a promising future for yourself and for those whom you lead. During The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence, you will explore those values further. During the program, you will become familiar with 19 leadership values that Walt Disney World leaders are held accountable for. Exploring these values will help you adapt this information and identify the values that will serve you well in your leadership situation. The 19 leadership values have been organized into three categories: skills, traits, and ideas. On the following pages, you will find further description of these categories and a list of additional values that will stimulate your thinking and help you decide what you value. For each of the following categories (skills, traits, and ideas), perform the following exercise: 1. Use the list to start thinking about what is important to you as a leader. If something you value is not listed, write it within the space provided. Put an X to the left of the top five items that best align with your personal leadership values. 2. Think about your organization and the values you see demonstrated within it. If something your organization values is not listed, write it within the space provided. Put a to the right of the values you feel most accurately reflect the core values shared by the individuals and culture of your organization. 3. Look at the values you ve identified and answer the following questions: Which values do you, as a leader, have in common with your organization? Where are there differences? Why? Disney 5
Disney Institute Leadership and Values (continued) Skills In any organization, leaders must be able to perform certain skills. This means they have developed the competencies necessary to carry out actions and apply techniques that are important to their leadership situation. Which of the skills listed below are most important in your leadership situation? Which do you need to value? ( X ) Which are valued by your organization? ( ) Asking questions Collaboration Communication Continuous learning Decision making Giving feedback Handling stress Helping others Influence Listening Motivation Organizing Partnering Performance coaching Planning Preparing Prioritizing Problem solving Process management Product development Project management Recognizing talent Relationship skills Resource management Setting direction Sharing information Team building Technical expertise Visioning Welcoming change 6 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Leadership and Values (continued) Traits In any organization, leaders must process certain traits. This means that as an individual, a leader has the qualities and characteristics that serve him or her in dealing with other people as a leader. These personality traits also contribute to the culture of the entire organization, especially when leaders who value these traits begin looking for them in the people they work with. Which of the traits listed below are most important in your leadership situation? Which do you need to value? ( X ) Which are valued by your organization? ( ) Bravery Cheerfulness Cleanliness Compassion Confidence Cooperation Courage Courtesy Creativity Dignity Discipline Efficiency Enthusiasm Fairness Faith Flexibility Friendliness Gratitude Honesty Hope Independence Individualism Influence Initiative Integrity Intelligence Joy Kindness Knowledge Loyalty Obedience Openness Passion Perseverance Pride Professionalism Reliability Respect Reverence Strength Thrift Tolerance Trustworthiness Wisdom Disney 7
Disney Institute Leadership and Values (continued) Ideas In any organization, leaders must embrace certain ideas. This means that the leader espouses a set of principles or standards that are critical to the success of the organization. Oftentimes, these values have strong connections to the heritage of the organization; as part of the organization, the leader can both adopt the existing ideas and work to shape new ones for his or her team. Which of the ideas listed below are most important in your leadership situation? Which do you need to value? ( X ) Which are valued by your organization? ( ) Accountability Adventure Alignment Authority Balance Challenge Change Commitment Community Competition Creativity Customer focus Customer satisfaction Democracy Discovery Diversity Efficiency Empowerment Environment Ethics Excellence Expertise Fame Family Financial security Freedom Fun Growth Harmony Heritage Improvement Independence Involvement Leisure time Money Order Personal development Pioneering Potential Power Productivity Profit Purpose Quality Recognition Responsibility Risk taking Safety Service Show Spirit Success Support Synergy Trust Vision Wealth 8 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence The Leader s Vision The Walt Disney World organization has long valued creativity in leaders. Walt and Roy Disney, the founders of the Company, were creative in their own right; but their leadership was evident in the way they fostered creativity in those they chose to work with in the growing Disney organization. To this day, Disney leaders are expected to make good use of their imagination. One of the ways Disney leaders put their dreaming skills to use is in creating and communicating a vision for the future. While attending The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence, you too will develop your ability to create a vision and communicate it with passion. On the following pages, you ll find a series of questions that will help you with this process. You have the option of choosing to work on your organizational or individual vision. Look through the following materials to decide which of the following two is of greater interest to you. Please allow 30 to 60 minutes to thoroughly complete this exercise and capture your thoughts. During the program, you will be asked to share your vision with other participants. Disney 9
Disney Institute Organizational History The key to unlocking the future lies in first understanding the past. Before you visualize where you want to go, take a moment to think about where your team has been during the last five to ten years. In this context, interpret the word team to mean the areas that are within your influence, that is, your organization, department, or division. What have you been? Describe your team. Who are they? What have been the major successes and accomplishments of your team in the last five to ten years? (Examples: new product, enhanced service, improved processes, increased profits, etc.) What structural and/or cultural components have remained constant for the team during the past five to ten years? What did you do to become this? Describe what your team did in the past five to ten years to become who they are. What actions did they take? What results did they produce? What obstacles or challenges has your team had to overcome in the past five to ten years? What organizational changes have been required to overcome obstacles and achieve success? 10 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Organizational History (continued) What have your stakeholders felt? Identify your team s stakeholders. Who has used your product or service? Who has had an interest in the success of your team? (Examples include customers, clients, partners, internal customers, stockholders, etc.) Describe the emotions your team has created for your stakeholders. What do your stakeholders feel as a result of doing business with your team? As a leader within the organization, which areas that are within your influence would you like to change in the next five to ten years? List your ideas in the space below. Disney 11
Disney Institute Organizational Future The successful future that you and your organization will create begins first in your imagination. Take a look at the list you created at the bottom of the previous page. From this list, we recommend you choose the one area of potential that you are most passionate about. Use the questions below to add the details about what you would expect to see occurring in this area over the next five to ten years. In this context, interpret the word team to mean the areas that are within your influence, that is, your organization, department, or division. In developing your vision, we encourage you to use descriptive language. How will this future look, sound, and feel to those involved in it? Flesh out the details to the point where you feel comfortable with this vision. While participating in The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence, you will share your vision with other program participants. What do you aspire to be? Describe what your team will become in the next five to ten years by focusing on this vision. How will this affect what they become? What will be your organization s successes and accomplishments in the next five to ten years? What structural and/or cultural components will be developed in your team? 12 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Organizational Future (continued) What will you do to become this? Describe what your team must do to achieve these aspirations. What actions must they take? What results must they produce? What obstacles or challenges do you anticipate your organization will encounter in the next five to ten years? What organizational changes will be required to overcome obstacles and achieve success? What do you want your stakeholders to feel? Identify your team s future stakeholders. How will the list change or grow in the next five to ten years? Who will use your product or service? Who will have an interest in the success of your team? Describe the emotions you will create in your stakeholders. What will your stakeholders feel as a result of doing business with your team? How will you celebrate your team s success? Disney 13
Disney Institute Individual History The key to unlocking the future lies in first understanding the past. Before you visualize where you want to go, take a moment to think about where you have been over the past five to ten years. Your individual vision may include your career path, your family and other relationships, your health, or your community. What have you been? Describe yourself. Who are you? What have been your major successes and accomplishments in the last five to ten years? What are you most proud of? What has remained constant for you during the past five to ten years? What did you do to become this? Describe what you did in the last five to ten years to become who you are. What actions did you take? What results did you produce? What obstacles or challenges have you had to overcome in the last five to ten years? What changes have been required of you personally in order to overcome obstacles and achieve success? 14 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Individual History (continued) What have your stakeholders felt? Identify your stakeholders. Who has used your product or service? Who has had an interest in your individual success? (Examples include family members, friends, business partners, community colleagues, etc.) Describe the emotions you have created for your stakeholders. What do your stakeholders feel as a result of dealing with you? As an individual, which areas of your life would you like to change in the next five to ten years? List your ideas in the space below. Disney 15
Disney Institute Individual Future The successful future that you will create for yourself begins first in your imagination. Take a look at the list you created on the previous page. From the list, we recommend you choose one area of potential that you are most passionate about. Use the questions below to add the details about what you would expect to see occurring in this area over the next five to ten years. In developing your vision, we encourage you to use descriptive language. How will this future look, sound, and feel to those involved in it? Flesh out the details to the point where you feel comfortable with this vision. While participating in The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence, you will share your vision with other program participants. What do you aspire to be? Describe what you will become by focusing on this vision. Who are you going to become? What will be your individual successes and accomplishments in the next five to ten years? What will remain constant in your life during the next five to ten years? 16 Disney
The Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Individual Future (continued) What will you do to become this? Describe what you must do to achieve these aspirations. What actions must you take? What results must you produce? What obstacle or challenges do you anticipate encountering in the next five to ten years? What changes will be required to overcome obstacles and achieve success? What do you want your stakeholders to feel? Identify your future stakeholders. How will the list change or grow in the next five to ten years? Who will use your product or service? Who will have an interest in your individual success? Describe the emotions you will create in your stakeholders. What do you want them to feel as a result of dealing with you? How will you celebrate your success? Disney 17
Disney Institute Notes 18 Disney