Walter Disney and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Posted by Winnie Melda on March 15th, 2019

             The Law of Navigation stipulates that every successful leader must prepare for the journey. Every good leader must go through the journey that they take people (p.39).The law applies to Walter Disney since he first had an experience with the animation business from an ad company prior to starting his.

            The law of addition calls for interactions between a leader and the fellow workers in the attempts to add value. The law applies to Walter Disney, who worked closely with his employees by coordinating their work and directing their efforts to certain goals.

            According to the law of solid ground, Maxwell refers to trust as the foundation of leadership. Trust holds the organization together (p. 61). Walter Disney applied the law by having an ability to communicate his vision and inspire others, thereby developing trust in him. His character as a leader was a solid foundation for his success.

            The law of Respect requires leaders to respect his followers. Maxwell claims that, when people respect a leader, they follow him (p. 79). Walter Disney applied the law by demonstrating respect and appreciation to the workers that in turn created value to the enterprise. He applied the law in his everyday life, and not only at the workplace.

            The law of intuition helps leaders to know of a situation even before getting the facts (p. 93). Walter Disney was a leader who underwent periods of nurturing to understand leadership in his early stages of life. According to Maxwell, such leaders have significant people skills, have a teachable spirit, and can develop intuition. Walter Disney used intuition and excellent communication skills to avert leadership problems.

            Maxwell’s law of magnetism explains that people attract others of their kind (p. 104). Walter Disney had good leadership skills and lived by a clear set of values. He passed the same to the business, and thus his workers and all affiliates. Disney influenced many followers through his work as a result of his character and value for customer satisfaction. He strived to make people happy.

            The law of connection requires leaders to connect with others. Walter Disney had a strategy of touching people’s lives through his artistic work that gave him a passion for continuing. His excellent communication skills enabled him to relate well to his workers and the audience to his work. He had a desire to touch people’s lives that led him to create an amusement park in California.

            The law of inner circle explains that a successful leader uses teamwork to actualize the success. Walter Disney applied the law of inner circle by worked with different people throughout his life. At first he worked with Roy and Ub lwerks to create a new character and Mickey Mouse. He also hired a team of artists and animators to roll out a studio by name Mickey Mouse films. Also, Disney worked closely with his employees to ensure the success of all the artistic work produced.

            The law of empowerment requires leaders to work with others and help them reach their full potential. Disney had a vision and worked hard to make it a reality. Thus, he worked with people across the board and communicated his vision to them as a way of empowering them. In his line of work, he applied inspirational motivation to all. He motivated them through his animations that helped to reveal his ideas and charisma. He developed programs that empowered children to understand and embrace artistic work.

            The law of picture helps leaders to understand that their deeds speak much about them and shapes the actions of others. People act according to what they see. As a leader, Disney applied the law of picture by ensuring that he worked hard to realize his dreams thus revealing his true self. His actions revealed more about his vision. Disney was a role model in his work by acting as the main animator in Hollywood. Thus, people could easily identify with him and follow his ideas.

            The law of the Buy-In explains that people buy into a vision by first liking the leader. Disney understood that the measure of the success of a leader is the ability to take people to the level they deserve to be. The law applies to the leadership skills used by Disney since he communicated openly about his vision to his workers to make them understand the level he wanted them to attain.

            The law of victory applies to Disney’s skills of leadership since he developed ways for his teams to succeed. He used the unity of vision by harmonizing all the efforts towards achieving his goals. He also used a diversity of skills by working with different artists, animators, and producers to make his dream a reality. He empowered his workers through motivation and showing them the right direction to follow.

            The Law of the Big Mo advocates for momentum in every leader. Momentum differentiates between a loser and a winner (p.197). Disney applied the law of the big Mo, by having a clear focus to where he desired to go. He faced challenges in finances and start-up challenges, but determination kept him going. It took about ten years for Mickey Mouse to be a reality, and it reveals the ability of Disney to keep moving on despite the setbacks.

            The law of priorities is critical to the success of a leader. Good leaders keep prioritizing. The law applies to Disney since he always planned ahead for the future and worked on things that had relevance to his vision. He strictly followed the techniques of requirement, return, and reward. He knew that animation and artwork was a required in the entertainment Industry. He was sure of getting returns since he worked on something out of his passion.

            The law of sacrifice is applicable in Disney’s style of leadership since he made many sacrifices for the sake of his work. A leader should give more than others for him/her to qualify as the best. Disney sacrificed his time and resources to make his vision a reality. He risked his life by trying out things that seemed difficult to others, but the returns were satisfactory.

            The law of timing used by Maxwell explained that every move by a leader has an outcome. Disney applied the law of timing by introducing new products in the Entertainment Industry at specific periods. For instance, his decision to turn Snow White into a feature film faced criticism and discouragement. However, its release came with a smashing success. He understood the art of timing despite the critics.

            The law of explosive growth requires leaders to be persistent in nurturing other great leaders. Disney applied the law throughout his life by having people whom he communicated his vision so that they could propagate it. His work did not stop after he passed on, due to the many leaders he nurtured.

            The law of legacy is applicable in Disney’s life, and his leadership skills due to the many things he left behind. Maxwell claims that success does not count much if a leader does not leave something behind (p. 259). Disney has a worldwide popularity due to his imagination, creativity, optimism, and self-made success in the American history. He has an amusement park by name Disney land that is among the most popular global tourist attraction.

Reference

John C. Maxwell (2007) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Tenth Anniversary Edition.

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in legitimate essay writing service. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from research paper services.