Lee Cockerell has some interesting anecdotes and bits of advice for business leaders.

• He once circulated a 60-page document detailing his adventures in leadership, including mistakes, to the entire Disney staff.
  Admitting mistakes and describing a bumpy road to the staff is illustrative of a path to success as well as indicative of the fact that everyone fails sometimes. Mistakes lead to learning, which leads to progress.
• He appreciates the staff of Disney, but also their family and friends, who have sacrificed in order to make the Cast members' careers exceptional. He even sends thank-you cards to family members of Cast members for their understanding about the long hours that their relatives work for the company.
• Potential hires are shown a video about the history of the company and its values and expectations of staff. Some people leave after that and skip the interview.
  He believes that this process weeds out unsatisfactory candidates and people who are a poor fit for the company. Hires should be on board with the company's values and culture in order to ensure that they work out.
• Cockerell recommends that staff look at the process rather than solely at the staff involved when there are problems and/or complaints.
  The process may need to be modified, and it is not always the fault of the front-line people. One time, a customer waited an hour for a bottle of wine that was purchased at Disney. It turned out that the manager was the only one with a key to the wine cellar, and he or she could not be located for a while. They fixed the problem and increased profits by allowing wait staff to access the wine cellar, and the manager locked it and checked inventory at closing time. Changing the procedures helped the company and customers because all wait staff were instructed to follow this procedure.
• He takes a personal approach to staff, which includes remembering their names, their values, and what is important to them.
  When leaders pay attention to staff, particularly what they do well, it makes them more committed, and they pay the company back with their increased dedication. He writes down info about each person and reviews it prior to meeting with them so that he can relate to them with more personal attention. Sometimes, I mentally review info about people if I have not seen them for awhile.
• He recommends telling staff ahead of time which behaviors are expected in certain situations.
  For example, the staff are informed if the restaurant is out of a Guest's favorite dish, the customer should be served a complimentary entree. This produces a staff that is informed and more confident about their ability to carry out the tasks correctly. It is invaluable because belittling or threatening staff with discipline creates a fear-driven environment that leads to lower productivity levels from a demoralized workforce. 

ARE is vital in the workplace. What is this? Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement. It is not only kids that thrive on encouragement and praise for a job well done. It is vital to producing and maintaining happy and productive workers. Some staff prefer private recognition, while others prefer a party or public announcement of their accomplishments. It is important to find out what particular employees like and to provide them with appropriate acknowledgement of the painstaking work that they accomplish on a daily basis. 

Personally, I would not want to work for Disney, although they have libraries and information architects. However, I did find Lee Cockerell's business insights enlightening. It is interesting to get the perspective of a top executive of such a successful and world-famous for-profit organization. I visited Disney Land as a child, and it definitely has an enchanting lure that many kids are enamored with. 

Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies From a Life at Disney by Lee Cockerell, 2008

• Disney web site
• Books about leadership