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Disney
Walter E. Disney,
A Proven Leader Who Reshaped A Culture
Krystal M. Carrillo
Woodbury University
PMBA 506 – Organizational Leadership
October 5, 2012

Abstract
Leading the world with the belief that a successful business goes far beyond finances, a great man once said “of all the things I have done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal” ("Walt Disney quotes," 2012). Walter Elias Disney had a great character filled with integrity, compassion and a strong commitment to making people happy. Walter went from being a farmer in Marceline, Missouri to running what is now considered one of the most well-known and successful corporations in the world, The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company owes it success and recognition to the strategies that defined Walt Disney himself both as a brilliant leader and an amazing individual.

Lee Cockerell wrote a book titled “Creating Magic” which outlines the 10 strategies that The Walt Disney Company still implements today. These 10 strategies consist of the following: Remember everyone is important, break the mold, make your people your brand, create magic through training, eliminate hassles, learn the truth, burn the free fuel, stay ahead of the pack, be careful what you say and do, and develop character (Cockerell, 2008). These strategies were not developed as a structured list of guidelines but are rather the byproduct of a successful leader encouraging others to see the world through his eyes.

This paper will provide a history of Walt Disney and his transformation from a common farmer in Missouri to a world-renowned corporate leader. In doing so, this paper will explore Cockerell’s 10 strategies by analyzing how they were inspired by Walt Disney and how these strategies have defined a culture in modern day business. Conclusively, Cockerell’s 10 strategies on leadership will be compared to the articles in “HBR’s 10 Must Reads on


References: Aldridge, B. (1999, August). Walt Disney, biography. Retrieved from http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html Bullman, J. (Director) (1995). Walt Disney [Television series episode]. In Milne, C. (Executive Producer), Secret Lives Cockerell, L. (2008). Creating magic: 10 common sense leadership strategies from a life at Disney Walt Disney quotes. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.famousquotes.com/author/walt_disney/quotes
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