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Creating Disney Magic

Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World, shares his wisdom and experience from his time with Disney, Marriott, and Hilton. Lee joins show host Jody Maberry to discuss how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization.
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Creating Disney Magic
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Now displaying: April, 2021
Apr 27, 2021

Over the last few years, especially 2020, we have seen the workforce environment change drastically. Whether it is birthed from a dream or by necessity, many young people today aspire to have their own business someday. But how does that impact us as leaders and the decisions we make surrounding hiring and developing our staff?

 

In this episode, we’re answering a listener question about this very subject.

 

Bradley from Nashville, TN posed this week's question: How would you develop employees that say they want to start their own company?

 

It can be tempting, as a leader, to hear an employee aspires to own their own business and interpret that as a lack of loyalty. But that really couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

A confident leader can recognize that an entrepreneurial spirit brings assets with it that a content employee may never develop. Often, those who plan to start their own company are hungry to learn and are looking to gain experience and exposure, all the while being committed to growth. If you are lucky enough to have this kind of person in your organization, take it.

 

With this increasing trend, we have an opportunity to develop and learn from our entrepreneurial employees. They tend to be top-notch, driven, and ready to learn. Take the time, answer their questions, let them step into responsibility. Their dream will require them to depend on their performance and reliability for success. Time spent isn’t enough, they must have results. The more ambitious people you have, the better you are going to do.

 

The environment of business is changing. Whether it is moving away from employees to contractors or from brick and mortar to remote offices, having risk-takers and people who take ownership on your team will serve you just as much as it serves them. 

 

If you have a question you would like me and Jody to discuss here on the show, you can reach us on any social media channel, email us at support@cockerellacademy.com, at http://www.jodymaberry.com, or http://www.leecockerell.com.

 

If you are looking to partner with individuals who take ownership when it comes to planning a vacation, make sure to get in touch with Magical Vacation Planner. Call them at (407) 442-2694.

 

If you want to take part in our monthly community calls, join The Cockerell Academy today at http://www.cockerellacademy.com/.

Apr 20, 2021

A while back, my son was at Disney and noticed a gorilla who was making eye contact with the man who was in charge. Based solely on the way people were acting and the way the man presented himself, the gorilla picked up on who the boss was.

Executive presence is what made that man stand out.

People with executive presence have immediate influence and credibility.

However, they don’t let that go to their heads. They treat all people with respect, no matter who they are. They let their position go and make every interaction all about the person they’re dealing with at the time.

When you’re around people with executive presence, you feel comfortable and trust them right away. The way they treat you, their focus on you, and their mannerisms make you feel good about yourself.

You don’t even have to be an executive to carry an executive presence.

When I was put in charge of a group of restaurants in Philadelphia Marriot, I met one man who immediately impressed me. It wasn’t until days later that I found out he was one of the managers reporting to me. Despite his position, he had an executive presence.

If you want to develop an executive presence, pay attention to others. Become a good listener. Ask questions about other people rather than talking all about yourself. Don’t try to convince others that you’re a big deal; instead, convince others how important they are.

If you want to learn more tips for developing a stronger executive presence, tune in to this episode.

Apr 13, 2021

This week, we have Jamie and JJ Eubanks from Magical Vacation Planner on the show.

Through this pandemic, this couple has had to put their flexibility to good use. Travel was so up in the air over the past 12 months, causing the Eubanks and their team to have to improvise greatly.

However, they have gone above and beyond during this time. As things were taken away from their clients, they saw that as an opportunity. They didn’t want their clients to miss out on anything and filled in the gaps where services were missing.

On this episode, Jamie and JJ talk about how their past helped them navigate this pandemic. JJ was a professional basketball player, meaning they were constantly picking up and moving.

That prepared them to deal with obstacles that came their way, not being in control, and being home together 24/7. When COVID hit, they were more prepared than most other people were.

We’re also talking about the other hidden blessings that have occurred in the last year. To name a few, creativity has flourished, skills have been developed, and the value of certain industries has skyrocketed.

To hear more from Jamie and JJ and learn about the amazing customer service of their magical vacation planners, tune in to this episode. If you have travel needs and would like to get in touch with Magical Vacation Planner, call them at (407) 442-2694.

Apr 6, 2021

We recently added a great new course to The Cockerell Academy: Real Leadership.

It gets into the details of the things that really matter. It teaches what most colleges don’t: how to treat people right, how to train people well, and how to get ahead of the pack.

It’s the little things in life that make all the difference. Every little thing you do adds up to who people believe you are. Those are the things that get you recognized by the people you work with and for and get you promoted.

A huge aspect of this course is the emotional aspect of dealing with people. We know that knowledge only gets us so far. Getting people to believe that knowledge is what really matters. When you are there for the people you lead, have empathy for them, and build trust with them, they will get more done.

We also talk about how we should really be judging performance.

Today, everything is so technical. Many people who are great at the technical side of their job get promoted but then have no leadership training. They’re left with no idea how to supervise and miserable because they’re forced into leadership with no desire for it.

This is why we need to rethink what it means to be a leader. Technical expertise isn’t enough. We want leaders who are excited about leading people, not just people who know a lot.

You don’t need a big title to start putting these things into practice now. If you want to learn how to be a great leader, join The Cockerell Academy today at http://www.cockerellacademy.com/.

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