disneygroupproject - Tumblr blog

[disneygroupproject]

References

Bauer, Patricia. “Michael Eisner.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Mar. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Eisner.  

Davis, Dominic-Madori. “Bob Iger Will Forgo His Entire Salary This Year as Disney Risks Losing Billions in Revenue.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 31 Mar. 2020, www.businessinsider.com/disney-ceo-bob-iger-net-worth-life-career-family.

“Robert A. Iger.” The Walt Disney Company, thewaltdisneycompany.com/leaders/robert-a-iger/.

Iwerks, Leslie, director. The Imagineering Story, Season 1, episode 4, Disney , 13 Nov. 2019.

“Leadership : Michael Eisner and His Leadership.” ArticleBiz.com :: Free Article Content, www.articlebiz.com/article/1051491787-1-michael-eisner-and-his-leadership/.

Leibacher, Herb, and Herb. “World Of Walt.” World Of Walt, 12 Mar. 2020, www.worldofwalt.com/a-legacy-of-leaders-disney-ceos-through-the-years.html.

“OUR CULTURE.” Walt Disney Imagineering, sites.disney.com/waltdisneyimagineering/our-culture/.

Schmidt. “Walt Disney, in the Words of Some of the People Who Knew Him Best.” Silive, 19 Mar. 2014, www.silive.com/goofy_about_disney/2014/03/walt_disney_in_the_words_of_some_of_the_people_who_knew_him_best.html.

“Walt Disney.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 21 Aug. 2019, www.biography.com/business-figure/walt-disney.

“Walt Disney.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney.  

[disneygroupproject]

Reflection

Each leader had a significant impact on the culture that composes the Walt Disney Company today. The risks each one took showed both their skills and the belief that anything can be accomplished when working as a unit. Without their daring risk propensity, the innovators would not have been as motivated to pursue the seemingly impossible. On the other side of risk & leadership, placing pressure on employees to create and innovate can be accompanied with push back. Great leaders are prepared to adapt to the resistance they may experience from organizational members, as shown by many within the Walt Disney Company specifically, Walt Disney, Michael Eisner, and Bob Iger.

[disneygroupproject]

Bob Iger

(Jean C. Arce)

Prior to working for Disney, Robert A. Iger worked for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), starting his entertainment career in 1974 with menial labor on ABC shows. He served as the president of the ABC Network Television Group from 1993 to 1994 and eventually became the president of its corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC. Iger’s initial integration into Disney began in 1996, when Disney purchased Capital Cities/ABC. In October 2005, Iger assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company, replacing Michael Eisner, who at that point had held the position for over 20 years.

According to Bob Iger’s page on Walt Disney Company’s website, Iger’s leadership tactics focus on, “generating the best creative content possible; fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology; and expanding into new markets around the world.” These ideals become more apparent in the context of Disney’s expansion under his direction, which includes the acquisitions of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012), and 21st Century Fox (2019), feats that demonstrate a drive to further develop varied and innovative content, while simultaneously reaching out to an audience that is broader and more culturally diverse. He has also helped Disney spread over multiple platforms through the development of Disney+, introducing Disney to the world of streaming services. Such actions can be tied into the concept of transformational leadership, where Iger was able to recognize the market’s shifting attention to other sources of entertainment and adjusted the company’s trajectory accordingly, extending its reach to encompass a wider consumer base. Through his developments, Bob Iger has demonstrated the value and importance of adopting a change-oriented mindset while in a position of leadership.

Following the shutdown of its parks in March 2020, Disney announced that its top executives would be taking a salary cut, with Bob Iger forgoing his entire salary for the year. While seemingly altruistic, this decision can be interpreted as a strategic move to enhance the public’s perception of Iger, working to boost his apparent charisma and inspire support and acceptance from both consumers and workers, as a more sympathetic consumer base tends to generate better profits than a more callous one, and workers who notice Iger’s willingness for flexibility and sacrifice may be more motivated to maintain a positive attitude, continuing to work in the best interest of the company after possibly finding themselves in more difficult and stressful situations due to Disney’s sudden loss of revenue. But then again, it could be that Bob Iger is actually just a really nice guy.

[disneygroupproject]

Micheal Eisner

(Kendall Vannest)

Following a period of stagnant film production and a hostile takeover attempt, The Walt Disney Company was desperate to recover and innovate. Michael Eisner (CEO) and Frank Wells (Chief Operating Officer) were the first two people in top leadership positions to be brought in from the outside. Their goal as a duo would be to reinstate the creative point of view that Walt Disney himself established many years ago.  

Michael Eisner and Frank Wells felt as though the parks lacked any contemporary development and quickly realized that the admiration Imagineers had for Walt Disney’s vision kept them from taking risks and doing the very thing that made Walt Disney spectacular. Eisner and Wells were entirely unfamiliar with the culture. According to Walt Disney Imagineering, “... We celebrate thinking and doing. And we prize the fact that the collection of innovators and creators all over the world think and do things differently” (Walt Disney Imagineering). Since its development, Imagineering has pushed limits and attempts to immerse individuals in environments that are both unique and inspiring. Merchandising and expanding into different markets such as hotels, restaurants, and additional parks quickly became a part of Eisner’s creative vision.

For a short period, every idea Eisner and Wells had was successful. The budget in updating the theme park had doubled and various attractions were causing a spike in attendance. The nature of their relationship was that Eisner was primarily focused on coming up with creative ideas and Wells would proctor the business, ensuring that every idea would be both feasible and profitable. When it came to leadership, each employee felt the liberty to demonstrate that they had a vision and it would be elevated to a direct relationship with Frank and Michael. Eisner was known for being ambitious and wanted to be actively involved in the creative works being done.  

In 1994, Frank Wells had passed away in a tragic helicopter accident, leaving Eisner to run the company alone. This event changed Eisner’s leadership path to be autocratic and demanding of sole decision-making power. While his accomplishments were many, he received criticism for pushing through plans others disagreed with. Michael Eisner is a task-oriented leader in which the focus is primarily on the task’s performance as opposed to the relational aspect which employees admired in their previous leaders.  

After several failed visions, creativity had stalled. The main motivator being to push back negative press, did not encourage those at the Walt Disney Company to push forward. Shareholders were suffering and low budgets disappointed guests. Barry Braverman, the Executive Producer of California Adventureland stated, that particular period of the company (1995-2001)  had been one of physical discipline and a strong sense that they needed to bring a developer's mentality to the work they had been doing (The Imagineering Story, 2019). The limits of a tight budget caused developers to either be uncomfortable or get creative and transcend beyond them.  

Several board members attempted to remove Eisner from his position. Many felt he had lost touch of where the company was and where it should go. Even though Michael had created seven theme parks and a cruise line, shareholders were fuming about the constant risk that left them penniless. In 2005, Michael Eisner resigned from his position and remains fond of the company and the work they continue to accomplish. Taking risks can completely change the trajectory of a company and the pressure to perform in uncertain times can cause organizations to falter.  

[disneygroupproject]

Walt Disney

(Mckenna Wilson)

Walt Disney was born in 1901 and he lived a long fulfilling life until 1966. Walt Disney began his career as a TV producer, showman, and creator. During Walt Disney’s career he won twenty-two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and one Emmy. Walt Disney started the Disney dynasty in 1923, with his brother Roy Disney. The two started out making different characters, which led to TV shows and movies, which eventually led the creation on the world-famous Disneyworld and Disneyland. Walt Disney’s creative mind is what made the company take off, but he would not have been as successful if he was not a good leader. Walt Disney’s leadership style was to lead by example and promote creativity in the workplace. Walt had a lot of trial and error with different characters and shows, but they obviously paid off. The biggest risk that Walt Disney took was to create Disneyland and Disneyworld. When Disneyland opened the Disney, company grew exponentially and became even bigger overseas. It was a place families could go and have fun and see their favorite characters, this is what drew people from around the world. Walt got to see the payoff from opening Disneyland, that he decided to open Disneyworld, but passed away before it open. None the less, it was still the right move. Walt Disney’s motivating strategies were that he wanted people to be happy and be creative and dream. Charlie Ridgway, one of Walt Disney’s public relations executive said, “He had supreme confidence that he would know what the public wanted. And he was right 98 percent of time. He had a tremendous ability to pay attention to every little detail, and yet know the overall picture as well.” This is part of the reason why Disney is so successful. Walt Disney evolved the company through his time at the company by starting it. They began by creating characters, then they made TV shows and movies and then came the amusement parks. By being able to continue creating new things, Walt Disney kept Disney relevant. Walt Disney focused more on the creative side of things, while his brother Roy focused more on the money side of things, but this allowed for a great partnership. Walt Disney was a risk taker and innovator, he was confident and business savvy, and he laid a good foundation for the company to be able to flourish for many years to come.  

[disneygroupproject]

Leadership - The Walt Disney Company

Introduction (Juan Olivas)

The Walt Disney Company is an organization that reaches a huge variety of diversified international family entertainments and media enterprises. It has come a long way from its small beginnings back in 1923, when founded by its leaders, Walt Disney and Roy Disney. Initially this company began as a producer of live action and animated films, as the brothers wanted to provide an entertaining and educational aspect to people’s lives. Although the company continues to provide these things for all, their influence has now reached way beyond what their creators might have expected. Disney is now more than just its own brand, their acquisition of many different companies has allowed them to take the reins in spreading their values of; innovation, quality, community, storytelling, optimism, and decency, towards a variety of different target markets, that surpass merely being animated entertainment. Media networks are the primary unit of The Walt Disney Company, that contain their vast array of television networks and associated productions. This is the area in which most young individuals resonate with today, and as they grow up, they continue to support and show loyalty towards the Disney brand. The company also owns many Disney-themed parks and experiences, across the globe, that bring Disney stories and its characters to life. Those who are entertained by Disney look to relive those memories and experiences they grew up with, and these parks help as they are, “Where dreams come true.” The most dated and important aspect to Disney is their studio entertainment, “The Walt Disney Studios,” which has come to own companies such as Pixar, Marvel Studios, and LUCASFILM. The drastic lengths Disney goes to in order to provide its entertainment is quite evident, but as their mission statement says, “Our goal is to entertain, inform, and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparallel storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world's premier entertainment company,” and as times have changed, this mission has been one thing they have stuck by throughout. A company this large needs to put forth a leadership that understands the many different values and aspects this company holds. Throughout its inception, Disney has been led by a variety of leaders from many walks of life, who have all put forward a great effort in keeping this billion(s) dollar company at the pinnacle of success.