Recently, I had the privilege of meeting Pat Williams the motivational speaker, author of over 90 books, and senior vice president of the Orlando Magic. As a result of our time together, I purchased his book 21 Great Leaders: Learn Their Lessons, Improve Your Influence.
Organized around Pat’s “Seven Sides of Leadership” – Vision, Communication, People Skills, Character, Competence, Boldness, Serving Heart – he profiles 21 different leaders who display these characteristics. The legendary Walt Disney was chosen for vision.
Pat tells the story of a 1989 dinner with Dick Nunis. Dick began as a Disneyland ride operator in 1955 and worked his way up to becoming head of Disney Attractions. Pat asked Dick what made Walt such an amazing leader.
Dick then outlined in succinct detail the following 9 Leadership Skills of Walt Disney:
- Integrity – Dick said, “First, Walt had integrity – you could trust him.”
- Vision – Walt was a visionary and could see the future.
- People Skills – Walt could get the best out of people.
- Inspiration – Walt was a great motivator and coach.
- Courageous – Interestingly, Walt was a bold risk-taker. Counterintuitively, he only took calculated risks.
- Humility – Walt had an eagerness to learn from everyone.
- Built A Great Team – Walt invited the people around him to test his ideas so he could continually improve them.
- Thorough and Detailed – Walt looked at every project and problem from all angles.
- Excellence – Walt was fanatically committed to excellence.
Walt once said about the dream of Disneyland, “Well, it came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters… I’d take them to the merry-go-round… and as I’d sit while they rode the merry-go-round and did all these things – sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts – I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise built, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started.”
Dick Nunis was right. Walt Disney really could see the future.
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.