Words From Walt
Page 17 of 20
December 28
My role? Well, you know I was stumped one day when a little boy asked, 'Do you draw Mickey Mouse?' I had to admit I do not draw anymore. 'Then you think up all the jokes and ideas?' 'No,' I said, 'I don't do that.' Finally, he looked at me and said, 'Mr. Disney, just what do you do?' 'Well,' I said, 'sometimes I think of myself as a little bee. I go from one area of the Studio to another and gather pollen and sort of stimulate everybody. I guess that's the job that I do. |
CEOs of today's business environment are expected to be answerable for everything that their companies do but few are involved in the day-to-day details. Levels of bureaucracy and hierarchy of managers filter information from top to bottom creating an environment where no single person knows exactly what is happening in the various units of a company. These individual business units are headed by people who are interested most in advancing their own careers and as such try to present their unit in the best possible light. The whole is very rarely equal to the sum of its parts.
When asked by the little boy about his role in his organization, Walt Disney had to admit that he didn't actually do the day-to-day work that his staff did. But unlike today's corporate leaders, Walt actually was involved in a personal way in every project that the company was involved in. He not only knew what projects were in the work, he would be there to make them better.
In the early days of the Studios, Walt was very hands on. Involved in the creation, development and execution of animation, Walt left a personal imprint on nearly all of the cartoons that the company created. Walt would even review animators' work after hours, making changes and suggesting improvements. This didn't always sit well with the animators but many would admit that Walt's changes were better than what they had. It was this attention to detail from the top down that created an organization of quality.
Walt would continue to provide stimulus to the entire organization throughout the company's existence. He made his staff better and their work exceeded their own and others' expectations. But perhaps more important than that was that Walt recognized that others could do the work better than he could himself. Many people would find it hard to keep their egos in check and understand that by allowing others with more refined skills do the work while he stimulated them to provide their best work, that the company overall would produce work of the highest quality. Walt's influence made sure that the whole was in fact greater than the sum of its parts.
Walt Disney was the difference in making the Disney Company successful. He assembled a talented group of people, inspired them to produce their best works and exceeded the expectations of the public. His inspiration continued after his death as many in the organization would ask what Walt would do before moving forward on a project. His memory served to propel the company forward, continuing the legacy that he left behind. Walt's impact cannot be discounted on the success of the Walt Disney Company. His inspiration is the intangible that seems illusive in today's business environment. His inspiration is what sets the company apart from others in the industry. One would be hard pressed to find a company more inspired by its founder's legacy than the Walt Disney Company.
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-- Matthew Walker
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