Walt Disney Including: A History Leader- Page Essay

Walt Disney including: a history leader- page applying leadership traits-: inspiration, goal setting, praise recognition, training/coaching, problem solving, planning,

Walt Disney: Leadership style

Walt Disney was a creative man who built an empire around his vision. Love or hate his product, he created a distinct, family-focused 'Disney style' of entertainment. Before Walt Disney, cartoons were regarded as largely derivative forms of entertainment, as a warm-up to the feature film. Disney placed cartoons front and center of the American entertainment experience during a time when movies were one of the central ways in which Americans came together to enjoy a commonly-enjoyed fantasy. He later parlayed this success into television, and even into theme parks which brought the cartoon experience to life. Disney was able to create his cutting-edge vision through near obsessive control of his product and tunnel-vision focus upon his goals. He was a transformative leader, inspiring his subordinates with his perfectionism, although his personal brand of transformative leadership had an autocratic cast to it.

Disney was known as an obsessively detail-oriented man. Disney entered the field of animated cartooning in 1919, and his cartoon Steamboat Willie, featuring Mickey Mouse, was a near-instant success. He was a pioneer in his presentation and vision of the animated world. Disney had a unique ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist. "In 1933, The Three Little Pigs and its title song 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?' became a theme for the country in the midst of the Great Depression" ("Walt Disney," Biography.com, 2012). Disney's output showed how people could identify with cartoon creations, just as much as they could live action films.

Before Disney, animation was considered a largely disposable art form, something to be watched before the main feature. Disney boldly brought animation front and center, laying claim for its relevance. He constantly set more and more ambitious goals for his company. In this respect, Disney was a transformative leader, completely turning around how his industry was viewed, based upon his personal vision and force of personality."In December 21, 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated film, premiered in Los Angeles. It produced an unimaginable $1.499 million, in spite of the Depression, and won a total of eight Oscars" ("Walt Disney," Biography.com, 2012). Disney was also an early innovator in the field of television, producing works such as Zorro and Davy Crockett as well as The Mickey Mouse Club. He produced feature films such as Mary Poppins, which boldly mixed live entertainment and animation. And, of course, he was the first entrepreneur to create 'theme parks,' which effectively expanded the State Fair experience into a permanent vacation destination. Virtually everything Disney did, no one had done before, and Mickey Mouse today is an internationally recognizable cultural icon of Americana. His company lives on and continues to serve his vision in various guises.

Disney had a creative vision, and demanded that both his employees and the public follow that vision in an inspirational fashion. "It is their unswerving commitment as much as anything else that keeps people going, particularly through the darker times when some may question whether the vision can ever be achieved. If the people do not believe that they can succeed, then their efforts will flag. The Transformational Leader seeks to infect and reinfect their followers with a high level of commitment to the vision" (Straker 2012). Disney, unlike many other Hollywood moguls, showed remarkable durability throughout his life. He was able to adapt his product to the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar Cold War era and beyond, while still ensuring that is products were recognizably branded as 'Disney.'

Disney was doing something profoundly different than what was taking place at other studios, by making animation central to the production process. However, for all of his inspirational and charismatic qualities, Disney also had a darker side. For example, his means of compensating his employees often appeared quite unfair. "Walt's manner of awarding bonuses has….....