4 Leadership Lessons: Walt Disney

I hope you might be a little like me.  I want to learn from others that have gone before me whenever I have the opportunity.  I'm starting these 4 leadership lessons primarily because it was something that I wanted to learn.  There is a tremendous amount of insight we can glean from other leaders, and my goal is to send you these snippets to help gather a few takeaways from some of the great leaders of our time.

One of my all-time favorite leaders is Walt Disney.  He was one of the great visionaries of the twentieth century, and there are many lessons we can learn from the way he led.  The Disney brand is one of the most valuable and recognizable entities in the world.  And it all started with one man's dream...

1. If you want to engage people, tell a story.

     - Walt Disney, more than anything, wanted to be known as a storyteller.  From the first time he pulled his staff together to act out the entire movie of Snow White before they started work on it, to the way he engaged TV audiences about the dreams of Disneyland, Disney was a master storyteller.  When Walt would tell the story of the next project he envisioned, it was a fire-starter in the hearts of his teams, and they would catch the vision with him.

2. Never stop asking questions.

     - Curious leaders are always the best leaders.  I think great leaders are always reading because they are on a constant quest for knowledge.  The same goes for leaders that are continually questioning things...even when they're seemingly going well.  Disney was never satisfied, and he not only demanded excellence in everything the company produced, he would always ask questions of his team.  This does 2 things: 1) it includes everyone in the mission and the vision of the common goal, and 2) it keeps your team observant and inquisitive as well.  As long as the leader is asking questions, it gives permission for this same culture to trickle down.

3. Optimism is critical for leadership excellence.

     - We have to create a mindset as leaders that our best days are in front of us.  To orchestrate and demonstrate a compelling vision that others can rally around, we have to create a culture of optimism.  Otherwise, what are we working so hard to achieve?  Leaders must become the primary optimist for our teams, and Walt Disney was fantastic at this.

4. It takes people to make a dream a reality.

     - This might be one of my favorite things about this leader.  Walt was carrying the vision...but he knew the vision was only as good as the ones who would carry it out every day.  When you look at the Disney parks, the "magic" that is created happens because every single team member (cast member) buys in to the dream of creating one of the happiest places on Earth.  You have to empower your front line, and give them the tools to make someone's experience extra special.  In today's world, it means everything.  No one did this better than Disney.  It's what still lives in the hearts of those who work there, to make dreams come true.

Thanks for taking a few minutes with me.  If you like this kind of material, please leave a comment, or you can email me anytime!  Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you have a fantastic week!

-ABB

4 Leadership Habits

Habits: we all have them...both good and bad ones.  

In studying great leaders, I've discovered certain habits that most good ones have perfected.  There will be many "leadership lessons" to follow in future posts, but I wanted to quickly dive in to 4 habits that I think we can glean from great leaders, and apply them to our own leadership styles.  

1. People follow people before they follow an idea.

- As a leader, you must develop your personal relationships with your team before they will buy into your vision. It's vital to have both, but the priority in the early days needs to be focused on the value you add to their relationship. 

2. Empathy is key: speak to others how they need to hear it, not how you want to deliver it

- I truly believe that we're slowly turning society into an empathy-deprived culture. So what does that mean for you and me? It means the leaders that focus on understanding the value that their teams need will win. It is critical as a leader to maintain the ability to put yourself in everyone's shoes. There's a reason the show "Undercover Boss" was so successful...empathizing with your employees is incredibly important. 

3. Humility: the last will be first

 - This is the essence of servant leadership. No leader exemplified this better than the greatest leader to ever walk the planet: Jesus. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many people." - Mark 10:45. He had all the authority to be served, but humbled himself, and many of those who followed Him would lay down their lives for His cause, in the same way He first laid his down for them.  You have the authority as a leader...but your authority should be secured in your humility. 

4. Learn to be selective in your battles. 

-Some battles just aren't worth the fight.  You know this already.  But sometimes we need other people to tell us the stuff we already know.  Consider that what I'm doing for you here :).  As a leader, you have countless opportunities to decide which battles are important to your team, and which ones you know you need to let go.  Spend some time reviewing those battles, and march forward with a level head on which ones are worth fighting for.

I hope you found these 4 habits helpful...be on the lookout for a lot of content like this in the future. If you enjoyed, please consider subscribing...it would mean the world to me! Love you all, talk to you real soon!

-ABB

Pivot to 4

I love lists...I think there is something inherently wired in our brains that make them easier to digest and apply information.  But I also know that lists are everywhere you turn...Pinterest is flooded with them, and now there's a List-It app (which by the way, I'm totally addicted to.)  

So that being said, I'm going to pivot a bit with the content I want to distribute on a more regularly scheduled basis.  I want to value your time, and I think that means giving more bite-sized steps / instruction / suggestions / etc.  So this is a really quick message to let you know that the blog (& podcast coming soon) will be updated with fresh content 4 times a week with a list of 4.  I'll let you know the significance of why I picked 4 later...

So that being said...let me kick off this post with 4 leadership lessons I'm learning right now:

1. Some times you don't feel like leading.  

     - However, it's in the times we don't feel qualified, and push through...knowing that we need to lead, that our true leadership is revealed.  Also, acknowledging your vulnerability at times gives you relational equity with those you lead.

2. It's never too late to lead well.

     - We all have a lot of junk in our past.  We have lies that we're believing...ones that tell us we're not measuring up.  But I believe that if you're sincere in your convictions, you can turn that corner, and even if you've never led well in the past, today is the day to start.  It may take time, but change is necessary and the goal is to get a little better every day!

3. Servant leadership is "love in action."

     - As long as we're coming from a place of servant leadership, your leadership will be blessed.  Embracing the mentality of "how can I serve my team" as opposed to what others can do for me, is the key to success.  It's not about you...it never was.  Serving others means loving others.

4. Leaders are always setting goals.

     - This is obviously the time of year where New Year's resolutions are on everyone's mind.  I like the idea of a new calendar and a fresh start.  While you may shrug off the resolution idea, don't underestimate the value of consistently setting goals.  Goals are specific and time related.  Leaders are goal-setters, so what are you chasing after?  

I hope you will enjoy the new format.  I really appreciate your time, and if you haven's subscribed to the blog, I would love it if you would consider clicking on the box at the bottom of this page!  

Thanks so much, and just know that the best is yet to come!

-ABB

What Do You Think?

There's so much we don't know about the human brain.  The complexities, the intricacies, the potential that lies within.  I'm learning in the transition from a negative to positive outlook and mindset; the sheer power in the way we approach our thinking is phenomenal.  

I've had a good deal of personal setbacks in the last couple of months.  And the constant through the barriers keeping me locked up was my disabling thought process.  I may, somewhere in the back of my mind, hoped I would be successful, but the reality is I couldn't see it in front of me.  Hitting rock bottom gave me a perspective I never would have gained otherwise.

I heard some really great advice: you'll never succeed until you can actually believe it!  I had to see it in my mind's eye, and command the faith to walk through the burning buildings of my life to cross over to the place of significance and influence.

There is power in believing for victory!  You are more than a conqueror...and you need to faithfully take God at his word when you apply that to your life.  Yes, there will be ups and downs, but moving in the direction that every circumstance in life is a blessing or a lesson will set you on a trajectory for triumph.  

God gave us these miraculous minds...let's learn to tap into a small part of that complexity and know that much of what we believe about ourselves will ultimately come to pass.

There's power in positive thinking.  I'm learning this with you, and hope this blesses you!  Thank you for blessing me with your time and attention.  Love you all!

-ABB

Beware of The Comfort Zone

Comfort is dangerous…

I’ve been living in the comfort zone for far too long.  And the price I’ve paid has been great.  I have been putting in efforts where I didn’t see fruit, and neglecting the areas where I knew a blessing was awaiting me.  So in that, I feel as though my test has been in pulling away my comforts.

I’ve seen the comfort I get from money in the bank stripped away.

I’ve seen the comfort I get from “playing it safe” with my career keep me from true fulfillment.

I’ve seen the comfort of family health wither away in tough seasons.

I’ve seen the comfort of purpose disappear like a thief in the night.

But now, the struggle is here.  And thank you for the struggle.  Because I’m getting pushed out of that comfort zone that’s held me back for so long.

The skills you learn in the struggle will propel you to realities you couldn’t experience inside the comfort bubble.

After all, I knew it was never that comfortable.  Now we get to learn who God created us to be.  We won’t go down without a fight, because the light has overcome the world!

I’m here…it’s a tough season…but now we get to see what God will do through perseverance and a humble heart!

Praying the same for you.  Get out of your comfort zone, or most likely God will push you out!

-ABB

1 Common Quality For Success

This will be a really quick post for today…I don’t want to over-complicate this to you.  There is one quality that every successful person has…one common thread.  This is true for generations, and true across every discipline and endeavor, and will be true forever…

All successful people are RESILIANT!

That’s it…there are 100 other qualities that successful people may possess, but I’m convinced nothing is more important than resiliency.  Because the truth is…you will fail / you will stumble / you will fall short.

Smart people / talented people / ambitious people / driven people will fall.  The successussful ones get back up.

Your setback is just a setup for your greatest comeback!

Always learn…always stay curious…and always push through…your resilience will ultimately win.

God Bless,

-ABB

Build a Berm Around Your Dream

Disneyland, 1955

In case you didn’t know, I’ve always been a big fan of Walt Disney.  Along with it, I’ve taken a lot of leadership principles from his life and his legacy.

The thought I wanted to present to you today is to “build a berm around your dream.”

Walt had the insightfulness to know that when he built Disneyland in 1955, he wanted to allow the guests to be completely immersed in the park.  He didn’t want them distracted by the outside world.  So he built a berm of dirt and trees around the entire perimeter of the park.  This would allow visitors to be fully engaged and focused on what was right in front of them.

Walt was a genius in many ways, and his foresight to give focus to his dreams is encapsulated in the way he built Disneyland.

I want you to do the same thing with your dream and vision for your life.

What is it that you need more of to accomplish the vision God has given you?  This is inside the “berm”.  In the same token, what is it that you need less of that you need to keep outside the perimeter?

There are so many distractions in our lives, now more than at any time in human history.  We’re pulled in 50 different directions on a constant basis, and those distractions can often limit our potential to focus on what God has placed in our hearts…our purpose.

So I want to encourage you today to “build a berm around your dream.”  That one thing that is burning in your soul…protect it and don’t let outside forces sway your focus.  Determination in the face of extenuating circumstances is often the separator of the successful from the just the dreamers.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. – Proverbs 16:3

God Bless,

-ABB

Humbled & Hungry

There has been a really palpable tension in my life lately…something that I feel very strongly about, and I’m starting to actually welcome this tension.

1)I’ve never been more aware that I can’t do this on my own.  I need God’s grace / mercy / guidance every day of my life.

2)I’ve never been more aware that I need to work harder / smarter / with more passion to accomplish the goals that not only I have for myself, but that which God has called me.

I’m growing in confidence that I can operate within the context of this tension, and I believe that God is working in and through me as I learn to not only accept the tension, but also express it to others.

Is this where God wants us to be....HUMBLED yet HUNGRY?

I’m processing this tension…do you feel like I do?

Have a great weekend!

-ABB

What's In Your Hands?

I think all of us would have to admit that we have a tendency to either focus on a past regret or the prospects of a scary future.  But we so rarely ask the most important question, and that’s “what’s right in front of me?”

Moses had this same issue.  He doubted his ability to lead his people out of Egypt, based on his past.  He was also anxious about the future and what God was calling him to do.  But in Exodus 4:2, God asks Moses:

What is that in your hand?

In that moment, God shifted Moses’ focus away from his past frustration and future anxiety, and thrust it upon what Moses was working with…a shepherd’s rod.  God showed Moses his capability to perform the supernatural out of the natural.  In this amazing realization, Moses’ trust in God grew, and so did the miracles that God worked through His servant.

What are some of your current circumstances and situations that God can use for your benefit and His glory?  Work on what you have the ability to change, and let God handle what’s out of your control.

You can’t change the past…we all know that.  But God was there, and guess what…He’s already in your future too!  So let’s focus on what we have right in front of us…what’s in our hands.

God Bless!

-ABB

My Poverty Mentality

Operating from a position of a poverty mentality is crippling.  I should know…I’ve been fighting it my entire adult life.

First, I want to clarify one thing…there is a huge difference between living in poverty and maintaining a poverty mentality.  I believe we can all rise above it (in the context of a capitalist economy), but it’s often our thought process that is the most detrimental aspect.  Furthermore, you can be living well above what is considered poverty, and yet still be operating within this mentality. 

The poverty mentality is essentially about 2 things: fear & lack.  I’ve had so many instances where I’ve operated my life and my finances from a place of fear.  I know God is a provider, but had a difficult time believing that He would provide for me.  There is so often a disconnect from what we know in our heads and what we believe in our hearts.  Operating out of this mentality of fear will move us into a reality of lack.  We’re always looking at what we don’t have as opposed to what’s already in our hands.

I really believe that poverty is a choice.  Primarily because:

-A decision not to change is a decision to remain the same.

-Our inheritance as sons & daughters of the King of Kings is a life free of this mentality.

-God intends for you to have all your needs supplied according to His riches!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thought he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty, might become rich.  -2 Corinthians 8:9

We are not promised material wealth (I’m not endorsing a prosperity gospel, either).  But what we have to know is that our Father owns it all, and every time we adopt this poverty mindset, we’re demonstrating a lack of faith in the Great Provider.  I don’t want to live in scarcity…I want to embrace abundance, in every area of my life!

So Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD will provide.” –Genesis 22:14

It’s time to trust…and it’s time to work!

If this is resonating with you…today, let’s draw a line in the sand and take a stand that we will no longer live with a poverty mentality!

Today:

Our security is not in our account balance…

Our ability is measured by our availability to God…

Our assets are more than possessions…

Our truth is that we serve a God who provides our every need… 

-ABB