Pat Williams - Lead Like Walt: Discover Walt Disneys Magical Approach to Building Successful Organizations

Praise for Lead Like Walt

In Lead Like Walt, Pat Williams and Jim Denney have captured the management, leadership, and creative talent Walt Disney possessed. I often use one of Walts quotes in my seminars: Always fight for quality, whether giving or receiving. During my time as Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort I often thought, like many Cast Members do, What would Walt do? If you want to be great at what you do, I suggest you study this book and learn from Walt, and then you will know what to do when opportunities and obstacles appear in your life.

Lee Cockerell

Executive Vice President (retired and inspired), Walt Disney World Resort Author of Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life At Disney

We all know Disney the company, but some may have overlooked Disney the man. Pat Williams and Jim Denney bring Walt Disney to life in Lead Like Walt . Disney was part visionary, part entrepreneur, and part creative genius. Walt meshed the parts together through his leadership by bringing people together to share in that vision. Walt used his imagination to conceive of where to go next, but he challenged his team to bring those visions to life. Disneys leadership serves as an example of how to bring great people together in order to create a bigger, bolder, and brighter future. Lead Like Walt is a joy to read and, as all books by Pat Williams, it is a rich reservoir of leadership wisdom.

John Baldoni

Inc.com Top Leadership Expert and Speaker, Executive Coach Bestselling Author of 14 Books, Including GRACE: A Leaders Guide to a Better Us

Pat Williams has done a remarkable job of telling a very inspirational story of Walt Disney and the attributes that made him so successful. I highly recommend his book to help motivate you to a future you did not know was possible.

Don Iwerks

Former Disney Executive, an Oscar Winner and Co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment

More than 30 years ago, Pat Williams turned a dream into a reality when he guided the efforts to bring the NBA and the Orlando Magic to our city. In Lead Like Walt , Pat, a visionary in his own right, gives readers a glimpse into one of the great dreamers of all time, Walt Disney, and the principles and tactics we all can use to make an impact on the lives of others.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer

This book is an E ticket if there ever was one. Authors Williams and Denney take you on a real-life Disney adventure through the eyes and experiences of the people who helped the man inside the mouse accomplish a world of wonders.

Ron Stark

Director of S/R Laboratories Animation Art Conservation Center Courvoisier Galleries of San Francisco

Lead Like Walt is Pat Williams best thinking on how to be effective in an ever-changing marketplace. Its a page-turner with actionable insights for leaders in any size organization. In fact, I am buying copies for my leaders and friends right away. This is a must-read. Thank you, Pat, for always expanding our minds and engaging our hearts to lead differently.

Simon T. Bailey

Author of Be the Spark: Five Platinum Service Principles to Keep Customers for Life

Great leaders turn visions into reality by empowering, inspiring, and motivating people. Walt Disney was a great leader. In Lead Like Walt , Pat Williams has broken down the essentials of Walt Disneys leadership style, so that all of us can learn from his example. Whether you lead a scout troop, a corporation, or a nation, the insights in this book will make you a more effective leader.

Senator George J. Mitchell

Former Chairman of The Walt Disney Company

A delightful book that illuminates the essential leadership qualities of Walt Disney related through the eyes of Pat Williams, an equally imaginative and insightful leader. Chock full of memorable stories, firsthand experiences, and practical advice on being an exemplary leader regardless of where you are on your own leadership journey.

Barry Posner , Accolti Professor of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

In memory of Diane Disney Miller, and in gratitude to her family for sharing with me their memories of Walt Disney

A Magical Tour of Walts Life

We were born in southern California and spent a lot of time at Disneyland in our early years. Even after we moved to Fresno, four and a half hours from Anaheim, Mom made a point of regularly driving us to Disneyland, our favorite place to go.

During the drive, wed sit in the backseat and plan our strategyIndiana Jones Adventure as soon as the gates opened, then circle back to the Jungle Cruise, then dash to Tomorrowland and hit Star Tours and on and on. Wed have it all figured outthough we almost always underestimated the wait times in line.

We never minded the lines. Just being in Disneyland was a magical experience, even if we had to wait forty-five minutes to board the next ride. As much as we loved Space Mountain and the Matterhorn Bobsleds, we didnt just go for the thrill rides. We always made a point of visiting the classic attractions that Walt Disney dreamed up, such as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Of course, there was a lot more to our childhoods than trips to Disneyland. Mom is a high school math teacher (now retired) who speaks English, Spanish, and German. She surrounded our lives with good music, great books, plays, and sports. Mom would also take us to our grandparents home, where my grandmother had literally thousands of books lining her floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, including every Caldecott Awardwinning book ever published.

We had well-rounded childhoods, and we learned to love literature, folk tales, and the arts. Mom encouraged our creativity. Brook especially enjoys writing, and Robin likes to draw. There are few things that inspire our creative impulses more than the creations of Walt Disney.

As we grew up, we both became curious about Walt. Who was this man who had a whole company named after himand, in fact, entire Magic Kingdoms named after him? What kind of childhood did he come from? What were his early influences? What kind of leader was he? What challenges and obstacles did he face? How did Disneyland come to be built?

We started reading about Walt and the history of his company and the history of Disneyland. We read Pat Williamss previous Disney-related book, How to Be Like Walt a treasury of Disney insight if there ever was one. And now weve read Lead Like Walt , which is packed with new stories and insights focused on Walts amazing leadership example.

One fact seems obvious as we look at Walts life: He would have accomplished great things no matter what field of endeavor he chose. His early life experiences happened to incline him toward animation and movies and theme parks. If hed had different early influences but the same character and attitude toward leadership, he could have easily been a great NBA coach, military leader, or American president. Walts traitsvision, communication skills, people skills, character, competence, boldness, and a serving heartwould have equipped him well as a leader in any arena.

As a leader in the entertainment field, he changed the world for the better. In fact, its hard to imagine a world without Disneyland and Disney movies. There is so much we can learn about leadership from Walt. Pat Williams and Jim Denney have done us all a service by extracting these lessons from his life.

What are your dreams? What are your goals? How do you want to change the world for the better? Take a magical tour of Walt Disneys life. Learn what it means to lead like Walt.