Introduction
Walt Disney was one of the key figures in the development of American cinema. As a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, he has left a lasting impact on the motion picture and television industries. Walt Disney was a person of remarkable vision and perseverance who surmounted numerous challenges to become one of his time’s most prosperous businessmen and filmmakers (Ward, 2013, p. 130). His works are still seen by millions of people worldwide, and he was a great innovator in animation. His guidelines for effective leadership are still very relevant today and can be applied to advance the objectives of any company. His management approach significantly influenced Disney’s success. He had a clear vision for his company and used principles and power to bring it to fruition.
Disney thought the keys to success were innovation and creativity, and he utilized his firm to promote these principles. He may also use his position to influence the media and public opinion. Disney’s accomplishments are astounding, and his leadership style has played a significant role in his success (Ward, 2013, p. 140). He was able to create an empire that is still significant today. His legacy will undoubtedly go on for many years to come. One crucial lesson I’ve learned is that great leaders must be able to uplift and encourage others. Second, to steer their team on the proper path, leaders must be able to act swiftly and decisively. Finally, leaders must be able to manage challenging circumstances and maintain team unity under pressure. Walt Disney taught us that a good leader must possess these traits.
Analysis of Disney’s alignment to universal principles
The Walt Disney Company is a well-rounded entertainment company with many offerings, including products, theme parks, hotels, movies, and television shows. Walt Disney launched the business in 1923 with the help of his brother Roy. By working on films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia, Walt Disney established himself as a pioneer in the early days of animation and contributed to its development (Krämer, 2022, p. 576). He created Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the first feature-length animated film. His videos frequently contained moral lessons that urged kids to act morally and empathetically.
The character of Walt Disney was well-known. He was an honest man who always followed through on his commitments. He was a man who treated everybody with respect and was consistently fair. Always putting his employees’ needs first, he was a kind of man. All of these are instances where Walt Disney’s honesty as a boss was on display. Also, according to research, successful leaders are more likely to uphold integrity in their actions. Since Walt Disney exhibited honesty in his leadership style, we can claim that he was a very successful leader in showing excellent leadership qualities (Krämer, 2022, p. 581). He constantly ensured that his staff members were content and had all they required to perform their duties. Additionally, Walt saw that business operations were efficient and that the films his company created were of the highest quality. In his leadership style, he demonstrated a high level of accountability.
Walt Disney’s treatment of his employees was one instance of how he showed compassion and forgiveness. His reputation as a just and sympathetic leader contributed to a supportive work atmosphere. Additionally, he showed forgiveness in his private life. He pardoned his wife for abandoning him and their two children to enter a convent full of other women, for instance. In addition, he forgave his brother’s theft from Disney Productions. Walt Disney, as a leader, exemplified compassion and forgiveness by being a fair and compassionate boss, showing understanding for his workers, and forgiving his family and friends (Krämer, 2022, p. 572). His human and forgiving nature contributed to a productive work environment, and his leadership style benefited his team members. Any leader must possess these traits, and Walt Disney’s impact on the leadership community is unparalleled.
Bases Of Power Adopted by Walt Disney
Walt Disney’s ability to inspire others was one of his most significant power sources. He was an expert storyteller with a distinctive vision that had the power to seize people’s imaginations all across the world. He exerted control over people because his films had resonant characters and captivating plots. Disney also used his power and reputation to persuade others. For instance, he was able to support various initiatives that would benefit society, including Disneyland and Disney World (Knight, 2014, p. 140). Additionally, he guaranteed that he had cordial ties with significant figures in the sector, such as animators and voice actresses, which enabled him to acquire the tools he required to make high-caliber movies.
Disney also succeeded in influencing people through his charisma. He had an easy way of connecting with people and was a good speaker. People were more inclined to help him out with his endeavors as a result. Walt Disney, in general, was a very successful leader who was adept at wielding many forms of authority to sway people (Knight, 2014, p. 162). Through his original vision, he was able to enthrall people, raise money for deserving causes, and win their support. His abilities enabled him to make some of the most well-known movies ever filmed and established him as a dominant figure in the film industry.
The beliefs of Walt Disney
Entrepreneur and businessman Walt Disney enjoyed great fortune. Some of the most adored figures in American popular culture, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, were created by him as the creator of the Walt Disney Company. Disney was renowned for his imaginative creativity, original concepts, and commitment to fostering a happy work environment for his employees (Von Mueller, 2013, p. 72). Walt Disney was a visionary leader committed to creating a great work environment for his team members. He also believed in the value of teamwork. These are just a few beliefs that may be connected to his leadership style. Disney’s building of Disneyland is one instance of how he used his imaginative creativity to build prosperous businesses. He took a California military post that had been abandoned and transformed it into one of the top travel destinations worldwide.
Walt Disney was an inspirational figure who strongly believed in the power of creativity. To establish order and efficiency, he fervently supported using procedures and policies. However, Disney was also renowned for his acceptance of money as a tool for achieving these goals indicating his conviction that success results from power, process, and policy. At the same time, profit is a crucial success metric. Walt thought building a successful organization required creativity, process, and procedure which is in line with the idea of the “Four Ps” of successful organizations: people, process, policy, and profit.
According to research, a leader’s success depends on their ability to believe in the power of their imagination. For instance, Carol Dweck’s study shows that executives who want their organizations to succeed must have a growth mindset, which is the conviction that leaders should develop aptitude and intelligence (Von Mueller, 2013, p. 46). Studies have also indicated that leaders with a clear vision are more likely to succeed than those without one. According to this research, successful leaders are more likely to believe in the value of imagination than unsuccessful ones. Disney amply illustrated this idea by establishing some of the most recognizable and enduring trademarks in history, such as Walt Disney Productions and The Walt Disney Company.
The system that Disney developed was successful and efficient, demonstrating his faith in the power of process. For instance, Disney established a system known as “The Eight Rules of Animation” to ensure that his animation studios were churning out high-caliber movies. It was essential for Disney’s success because this structure allowed him to maintain tight control over his projects (Von Mueller, 2013, p. 37). Disney also recognized the value of policies and created them to assist his company in succeeding. As an illustration, he created a rule known as “The Seven Dwarfs” that forbade his animation studios from making movies that featured offensive stereotypes.
Walt Disney and Organizational culture
The Walt Disney Company has had a long-standing influence on American society. Walt Disney was a pioneer in the American animation industry, and his company grew to become one of the most profitable media corporations in the world. Disney’s leadership beliefs and actions significantly impacted his organization’s followers. Disney was renowned for his love of creativity and commitment to providing his staff and visitors with memorable experiences (Arellano et al., 2011, p. 13). He was committed to “The Disney Way,” the business’s guiding principles of treating staff fairly, upholding high standards, and offering superior customer service. His successors carried on these principles and continue to influence how the Walt Disney Company is run today.
The company’s continued dedication to its staff, clients, and communities is a testament to Disney’s legacy. The Walt Disney Company has given more to charity than any other U.S. corporation since it was established in 1923, totaling more than $8.3 billion. This generosity has aided in promoting issues like community improvement, environmental preservation, and human rights. The company’s continued dedication to innovation is another example of Disney’s legacy. The creation of movies, television shows, and theme parks has all been influenced by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney was a pioneer in using sound in films and a strong supporter of character animation. The business has also been a pioneer in cutting-edge merchandising and marketing techniques.
The domain of motion films was where Disney made some of his industry’s most significant changes. He created a brand-new idea he termed “the animated movie,” which started with the 1928 film Steamboat Willie. The animated film offered a change of pace from the era’s prevalent live-action films. Disney invented a brand-new kind of entertainment by utilizing creative music and animation (Arellano et al., 2011, p. 32). Disney also established the bar for merchandise. He was the first to use licensed characters in toys, apparel, and food goods. As a result, Disney could make significant profits from productions that did not connect to the movie’s release.
Walt Disney was a competent manager who impacted the organizational culture significantly. He could express his vision for the business understandably and be extremely clear about what it was. His vision was more likely to be carried out because of his high level of credibility (Arellano et al., 2011, p. 28). Disney’s emphasis on high standards and his notion that creativity and innovation were essential to success were two of the behaviors that had a tremendous influence on his followers. These ideas were fundamental to him, and he could also persuade his colleagues to believe in them.
Another example of Walt Disney’s influence on organizational culture was his emphasis on staff morale. He made it a point to ensure that everyone in the organization felt respected and appreciated for contributions to the creation of a suitable environment in which employees could be creative and innovative. Overall, Walt Disney was a successful leader who impacted his organization’s culture significantly.
Walt Disney’s Ethical practices
Walt Disney was an ethical leader who shaped The Walt Disney Company’s ethical practices. There is evidence that Walt Disney was an ethical leader. First and foremost, he was an outspoken supporter of family-friendly entertainment, suggesting that he had high standards for what was appropriate for children to watch and consume. Second, he was well-known for his high quality and integrity standards indicating that he was committed to ensuring that The Walt Disney Company’s products and services were of the most incredible quality and met the highest standards of integrity.
Finally, Walt Disney was well-known for his creative vision and tenacity. These characteristics indicate that he was dedicated to ensuring that The Walt Disney Company’s products and services were of the most outstanding quality and addressed the needs of its customers. When these elements are considered together, they indicate that Walt Disney was an ethical leader. He helped define The Walt Disney Company’s reputation as a prominent champion for family-friendly entertainment.
Conclusion
The success of Walt Disney’s movies and theme parks is a testament to his leadership abilities and commitment to morality in business management. His ability to perceive the potential in his products and forge a lasting legacy made him a leader with vision. Imagination, grit, and innovation are the cornerstones of Disney’s leadership tenets (Ward, 2013, p. 138). He had the vision to recognize the potential in his creations and build a lasting legacy that is still in use today. His guiding ideas serve as a template for leaders in all fields and can aid organizations in achieving their goals.
References
Arellano, F., Felder, M., Watt, M., & O’Rourke, J. (2011). The Walt Disney Company: Disney’s California adventure. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526403896
Knight, C. K. (2014). Manifest Disney? Power and Paradise in Walt Disney’s World, 139-170. https://doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813049120.003.0007
Krämer, P. (2022). The Walt Disney Company, family entertainment, and Hollywood’s global hits. The Oxford Handbook of Children’s Film, 568-590. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190939359.013.25
Von Mueller, E. (2013). Walt Disney. Cinema and Media Studies. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199791286-0084
Ward, A. (2013). Case study: The Walt Disney Company. The Leadership Lifecycle, 127-146. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230514478_9
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