Never Too Old for Disney...

In preparing for today’s class, one leader and his legacy immediately came to mind while reading the excerpt on “Responsible Leadership” from Selznick’s Leadership in Administration. Walt Disney, the famed creator of Mickey Mouse and a multitude of other characters, built an entertainment empire based on the simple mission statement, “to make people happy.” With this vision in mind, The Walt Disney Company continues to produce high-quality family entertainment in a myriad of different markets. This vision statement provides a solid foundation for goal-setting, which Selznick states, in order to be “institutionally meaningful, is framed in the language of character or identity, that is, it tells us what we should ‘do’ in order to become what we want to ‘be.’” Disney’s does just that – although their consumer reach is extremely diversified, all corporate efforts and initiatives have their roots in providing entertainment, or making people happy.

Furthermore, Disney models what Selznick describes as creative leadership. More than being a creative genius and the head of an organization, Selznick claims this practice has two aspects that synthesize the two roles: “the institutional embodiment of purpose” and the exercise of creativity “by strategic and tactical planning.” Disney’s commitment to the former can be seen in the development of Disney University, an intensive onboarding program for what one might consider the low-ranking employees: the costumed characters that wander around at amusement parks. However, Disney leaders choose to invest in their training to ensure that the organization’s mission and culture permeates the on-the-job attitude and behavior of all their employees. As Selznick noted in an earlier chapter of this book, “Truly accepted values must infuse the organization at many levels,” and this assertion is evident and applied within the Disney culture.

The second aspect, the strategic and tactical execution of creativity, is clearly a part of Disney’s legacy as well. Walt Disney’s cartoon studio blossomed into a multi-billion corporation through a gradual expansion process. Walt was eager to try new things, moving from short cartoons to films to merchandise to theme parks to digital animation and beyond. Each of these initiatives that originated internally within the company reflected the “changing relation between the organization and its environment;” as consumer demands of the entertainment industry evolved, Disney has adapted and delivered in creative and innovative ways.

Ultimately, Walt Disney successfully took on one of the prime functions of leadership, according to Selznick: “ the task of building special values and a distinctive competence into the organization.” Disney’s core values and vision of making people happy has cultivated not only a strong and profitable organization, but a followership that extends beyond the Disney family of employees to the millions who enjoy Disney’s creations time and time again.

Citations:

"Company History." The Walt Disney Company and Affiliated Companies. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. .

Selznick, P. “Some Premises about Leadership,” pp. 22-28. Leadership in Administration. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1975.

Selznick, Philip. “Responsible Leadership,” pp. 142-154, from Leadership in Administration, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1975.

What Geese Know about Leadership

Nothing signals Autumn in New England like the migration of geese south for the winter. The familiar sight of geese (usually of the Canadian variety) in a V formation and the sound of honking is indicative of the season. I believe that this migration may have something to teach us about leadership.

When flying in this V formation, it appears that one goose is the leader, first in the formation. All the other geese flank this apparent “leader goose” on both sides. Why do geese fly like this? From a scientific perspective this leader helps to cut through the air, making the whole gaggle more aerodynamic. Therefore, all the other geese expend less energy while flying.

So at first it appears that geese have it all figured out, the strongest goose will the lead the gaggle. And surely this strong goose was born to be the leader through his strength and size; undoubtedly he (or she) received no training in such a leadership position. Thus one could conclude that the leader goose is born, and not made. If this is true then the geese have answered our question about the origin of leadership skill. However, there is more to this leadership story. It turns out that the leader goose is not always the same.

When the leader goose becomes tired, it falls to the back of the V formation, where it can expend less energy. Another goose then flies up take its place, having more energy saved from being elsewhere in the V formation. So, it turns out that the leadership role in this flying gaggle is shared among several, if not all, of the geese. This begs the question, are all geese born to be leaders or do all geese learn to be leaders?

To frame this in a theoretical sense, one might fit these geese into the three premises of leadership outline by Selznick in Leadership in Administration, 1957. The first “Leadership is a kind of work done to meet the needs of a social situation” is descriptive of what these geese are trying to accomplish in their southward migration. (Leadership 1957) Second, he points to “Leadership is not equivalent to office-holding, high prestige, or authority or decision-making”. (Leadership 1957) Perhaps there is no office that any goose could hold, but the leader of the flying formation isn’t any of this tangible things and the position is shared among other members of the gaggle. And third, “Leadership is dispensable” as for each goose it is, no one goose is the leader every time and perhaps may not be the leader upon landing. (Leadership 1957)

This example of leadership is one of nature and of utility; flying in a formation is necessity as is having several geese share the burden of this physical exertion. But does this avian example translate to humans? Undoubtedly there are several differences between our feathered friends and ourselves, but it did make me think that perhaps this a leadership quality in all of us that if it is necessary, we can all step into a leadership position. Geese are born with the capacity to fly and seemingly, with the capacity to take the lead. Are humans hindered by our ability to think and communicate in a more complicated way? Is all it takes for us to be leaders for us to just do it? - I doubt that any goose thinks much about taking his or her turn.
So I ask you this- do geese know if leaders are born or made?

Photo © NC Wildlife Resources Commission