Preface

Peter Drucker once said, “When you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” Those who have prospered despite a pathway of obstacles have done so with an inner compass that steers their course: deeply held values that have crystallized and led them to achieve tangible results. Walt Disney, the great storyteller and innovator, had such a compass that defined his enviable empire. His four steps were simple:

1. Dream beyond the boundaries of today.

2. Believe in sound values.

3. Dare to make a difference.

4. And then just go out and do it: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.

For the past 10 years, Capodagli and Jackson have inspired and led thousands of leaders, employees, and conference attendees to adopt these four principles, the success formula that worked for Walt. The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company was anointed by Fortune magazine as a “1999 Best Business Book” and “so useful, you may whistle while you work.” Translated into eight languages, the magic is working in the lives of countless individuals, teams, and organizations.

The Disney Way is still a popular choice among readers, evidenced by the Los Angeles Times: “There is still magic in Disney’s words.”

For the past five years, Capodagli and Jackson have been unveiling a collection of unique organizational stories of triumph. You will get to know how these seven featured organizations have uniquely applied Walt Disney’s Dream, Believe, Dare, Do principles. Some of the players are widely recognizable; others are known only to those to whose lives they have brought meaning. One is a quiet visionary named David Overton, CEO of The Cheesecake Factory. David is the classic embodiment of perfectionism, having launched the now legendary mega-menu, themed restaurants characterized by seemingly endless lines of people anticipating a divine culinary experience. Another is Patrick Charmel, the so-called “community savior” of Griffin Hospital, who transformed this ill-reputed facility rapidly approaching bankruptcy to a cutting-edge profitable provider of healthcare, now the envy of its esteemed southern neighbor, Yale Medical Center. Rounding out the list of the featured organizations are Downtown School of Des Moines, Ernst & Young, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, John Robert’s Spa (Cleveland area), and Men’s Wearhouse.

The revised edition of The Disney Way will captivate readers by these real-world stories of Dream, Believe, Dare, Do passion that testify to the importance of holding dear a set of self-evident and unwavering values. These four simple principles have been practiced by great leaders for decades, standing against the proliferation of fads and so-called new economy success principles that quickly fade from view. The industry and community leaders in these inspiring tales are dedicated to the long term, building their futures one step at a time.

At the end of each chapter is a riveting example of how one of the featured organizations has put into action the lessons of the chapter. Adherence to The Disney Way principles of Dream, Believe, Dare, Do has sparked these leaders and their teams to achieve great things together. How each of these seven leaders applied Walt’s four principles is the subject of Chapter 13.

At the time of the original writing of The Disney Way, the Disney organization was the envy of every CEO. Disney had it all: a decade of stock increases beating the S&P average tenfold; growing theme-park attendance; animation blockbusters that ruled the box office, rivaling Walt’s earlier classics; and a culture of innovation, mutual respect, and trust.

With the 2000 recession, the horrific acts of 9/11, and stock prices plummeting, suddenly everyone had it in for the Mouse. In 2004, Roy Disney (Walt’s nephew) rallied stockholders to oust Eisner: Pixar severed its ties with the company; and Wall Street demanded loftier results. The stage was set for the death of Disney’s image as “the happiest place on earth.”

In 1984, when Michael Eisner and Frank Wells were respectively named CEO and president, they demonstrated the leadership to launch the Disney organization from status quo to the iconic international organization it arguably remains today. For a multitude of reasons (one being the tragic death of Wells in 1994), by the late 1990s Michael had lost the “pixie dust” that had created one of the most recognizable brands in the world. It was high time for the new chairman, Bob Iger, to reawaken this sleeping princess of a company using Walt’s legacy as a compass. Chapter 12, “Re-Creating the Magic,” provides our recommendations for restoring the magic relished under Walt.

Nothing was ever really easy for Walt Disney. From the early days of teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after dumping his entire savings into his “dream,” to being viewed as small time by Hollywood insiders who refused to view cartoons as candidates for Academy Awards, Walt lived his credo: an unwavering commitment to Dream, Believe, Dare, Do. These four sound principles are essential to reaching desirable outcomes in personal and business endeavors alike. Yet, there is never any real “pixie dust” for making things happen. It’s simply about stepping up to the plate and being willing to swing the bat. The great nineteenth-century Swiss writer, Henri-Frederic Amiel, said, “The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides.”

Every business has two choices:

1. Wait to see if competing on price alone will generate a profit, or

2. Exercise the passion required to produce truly “magical moments” that keep guests coming back for more.

Thriving in the new economy will never happen without strong values that are embraced by all employees. With these values as an internal compass, employees will provide their customers with a unique experience that is not easily duplicated by others in the marketplace. Similarly, every individual has two choices:

1. Wait and hope that something or someone will provide the motivation needed to act, or

2. Take control of your own dream and work to see it through.

This book tells the inside story of just how Disney’s success was achieved—not by epiphanic flashes of creative insight that produced a Pinocchio or a Dumbo, but by the force of a much considered, carefully wrought process of managing innovation and creativity by the adherence to a firmly held system of beliefs. The succeeding chapters will bring to life how passion for people, product, and service translated into immeasurable success for Walt Disney and other great role models. Their stories come to life through examples of real drive, courage, humanity, and a compelling thirst to make a difference. Their values allow them to make decisions that are best for their people and their businesses—in that order. These leaders possess a charismatic quality that naturally inspires others to challenge themselves. In the same vein, they rely on the power of everyone on their teams to journey together and unlock the future possibilities that they believe are endless.

At the conclusion of each chapter, “Questions to Ask” and “Actions to Take” will provide readers with a roadmap to living the Dream, Believe, Dare, Do principles and sustaining outstanding rewards in doing so. Readers will also be enlightened as to how a diverse array of leaders and teams chose a course to prosperity by exercising Walt’s credo, and, in turn, created “magic” for their customers.

The inspirational stories in the revised edition of The Disney Way will challenge the original readers to examine their Dream, Believe, Dare, Do results and provide new readers with a framework to soar beyond the limits of traditional management through these four powerful principles. From entry-level recruits to CEOs, from private companies to public agencies, the Disney principles are redefining the nature of business in our age and revolutionizing the art of management.