Guest Name:
Lee Cockerell - Creating Magic

Guest Intro:
Lee Cockerell is the retired Executive Vice President of Disney World Operations. Before joining Disney in 1990, Lee held executive positions with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and Marriott Hotels for 17 years.

Topics We Discuss:
An overview of the size and magnitude of operations at Disney: A city in itself
Lee being the "mayor" at Disney
Hiring for greatness: Stamina, attitude, discipline
Hiring leaders: Leadership, strategic thinking, management skills, good relationships with people
Balancing new projects and operations: Time management, hiring the right people, training, culture
Lee's three-pronged foundational approach: Right people, right training, great culture
Focusing on the "people" side over the technical stuff
Observing performance: Managers spending 80% of their time with the employees
The power of clarity
Common struggles of businesses: Bureaucracy, guest-friendly and employee-friendly rules and regulations, policies, procedures, and operating guidelines
Three things to consider when making decisions: Customers, employees, profit
Key metrics: Guest satisfaction scores, analyzing finances, watching labor everyday
Learning and gaining wisdom through travel and experience

Books, People, & Resources:
Visit www.LeeCockerell.com

Lee Cockerell’s books:
Creating Magic: 10 Common Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney
The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service
Time Management Magic: How to Get More Done Everyday and Move from Surviving to Thriving
Career Magic: How to Stay on Track to Achieve a Stellar Career and Survive and Thrive the Ups and Downs
Check out Lee's podcast, Creating Disney Magic to get snippets of advice on how to behave yourself, how to do a better job, and how to be a better

Lee Cockerell’s Leadership Thoughts
Creating Magic - Leadership & Coaching on the Go! iPhone app

Book recommendations:
Peter Drucker books
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel