Creating Disney Magic
Business & Finance
About
Lee Cockerell shares his wisdom and experience from his time as the Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World. Along with host Jody Maberry, Lee discusses how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization.
Episodes
- Does Self-Confidence Improve Customer Service
"If you're not getting exposed to those new thoughts or new ideas, then you're not effectively advancing the way you're serving." Episode Chapters [00:01:25] Does Self-Confidence Affect Customer Service? [00:03:26] Why Leaders Must Deal Wi…
- Dealing with Stress
"Anxiety grows when we avoid the hard things." Episode Chapters [02:34] Why Anxiety Continues to Affect So Many People [04:48] Recognizing Anxiety Instead of Explaining It Away [07:35] How Modern Life Creates Constant Overwhelm [14:48] Why…
- Hire the Right People
"The most important lever you can pull as a leader is hiring the right people." Episode Chapters [03:29] Why Hiring Right Solves Most Leadership Problems [06:17] Looking Beyond the Resume [10:33] Setting Clear Expectations Up Front [13:00]…
- You Are Putting on a Show Every Day
"When the curtain opens, everything matters." Episode Chapters [01:41] The Big Red Curtain: A New Way to Think About Service [03:26] Why Every Detail Matters in a Great Show [05:33] A Real-Life Example of Excellence in Action [09:55] How t…
- Building Trust After Layoffs
"People are watching what you do after the decision, not the decision itself." Episode Highlights [02:10] The Impact Layoffs Have on Trust and Morale [04:32] Why Communication Matters More After the Decision [06:48] Rebuilding Trust Throug…
- Leadership Lessons from Walt Disney
"Resiliency is what separates dreams from results." Episode Chapters [00:02:15] From Professor to Speaker: Jeff Barnes' Journey [00:05:16] Walt Disney's Resiliency and Early Failures [00:07:28] The Power of Going All-In on Your Goals [00:0…
- Leadership is Not About a Title
"Leadership is not about a title. It's about your influence." Episode Chapters [00:02:22] Why Leadership Starts with Influence, Not Title [00:03:00] Giving Teams Purpose and Explaining the Why [00:04:17] Why Presence Builds Trust and Credi…
- Getting Buy In to Deliver Better Service
"Getting better is not easy, but it's the only way to be successful." Notable Moments [00:02:52] Why Longstanding Employees Resist Change [00:03:36] Leading Change with Clarity and Purpose [00:05:29] Why Timing Matters When Improving Servi…
- Experience and Exposure Create Opportunity
In the 600th episode of Creating Disney Magic, Lee Cockerell shares career reflections, emphasizing that attitude, reliability, and exposure are key to building a resume and creating opportunity, even with setbacks.
- You Must Enforce the Rules Even For High Performers
Lee Cockerell explains that leaders must consistently enforce rules, even for high performers, to avoid damaging team culture and creating long-term issues. This involves clear expectations, fairness, and addressing problematic behavior di…
- Serving Internal Customers
In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Lee Cockerell discusses the importance of internal customers, explaining that coworkers are crucial for organizational success. He offers insights for leaders on shifting mindsets, valuing support…
- Have the Courage to Speak Up
Lee Cockerell explains the importance of courage and ethical leadership when workplace culture declines. He provides methods for employees to safely raise concerns and emphasizes that effective leaders encourage honest feedback.
- Getting Buy-In for High Standards
This episode of Creating Disney Magic features Lee Cockerell explaining how leaders can gain buy-in for high standards. Topics include recruiting, communicating long-term value, and using storytelling to define customer experience and stre…
- Leading Through Anxiety in the Workplace
In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Lee Cockerell shares personal experiences with anxiety and depression, explaining how accumulated life pressures can trigger it. He offers advice for individuals seeking help and for leaders aiming…
- How to Work with a Micromanager
Lee Cockerell explains that micromanagement often stems from insecurity and lack of trust, impacting confidence and limiting authority. He provides guidance on navigating these situations professionally and determining when to stay or leav…
- Leadership is Getting Harder
Leadership challenges are growing due to increased demands and evolving employee expectations. This episode emphasizes that effective leadership, focused on employee treatment, is crucial for customer service, morale, and performance.
- Inspiring an Unmotivated Team
This episode of Creating Disney Magic discusses how unmotivated teams are typically a leadership problem. It covers resetting expectations and accountability, differentiating motivation from inspiration, and how reliability and pre-shift m…
- Handling Unexpected Challenges
Leaders can navigate unexpected challenges by focusing on quick decision-making and action, even without having all the answers. This episode with Lee Cockerell explores anticipating issues, seeking expert help when needed, and the importa…
- Be Candid on What You Believe
This episode of Creating Disney Magic explores the importance of candid communication for leaders. It details how openly answering questions, stating values clearly, and telling the truth, even when uncomfortable, builds credibility and tr…
- Be Able to Explain What You've Learned
Lee Cockerell emphasizes that the ability to articulate learnings is more important than the career path itself. The episode discusses the value of staying in a role to learn and grow, evaluating workplace factors like opportunity and cult…
- Inspiring People to Take Action
This episode of Creating Disney Magic discusses why people struggle with follow-through, emphasizing that change is difficult. It highlights the importance of encouragement, emotional connection, and repetition in motivating individuals to…
- You Know What You Need to Do
In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Lee Cockerell explains that progress begins with action, not motivation. He covers why most resolutions fail, the power of starting before feeling ready, and how progress builds confidence.
- Find Your People and Take Care of Them
This episode discusses how leaders can identify and support their core audience, emphasizing the importance of reliability, fostering a sense of belonging, and improving retention by prioritizing employee well-being, as discussed by Lee Co…
- Knowledge is Currency
In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Lee Cockerell explains that knowledge is currency, representing influence, credibility, and trust. He explores how learning impacts leadership, why feeling valued is crucial, and how intentional ac…
- Being Nice is Good For Your Career
"There's no upside for not being nice." Notable Moments [02:32] What "being nice" actually means in leadership and daily interactions [03:20] Why raising your voice causes you to lose respect [04:12] How organization and stress management…
- Make it About Experience Not Price
In this episode, Lee Cockerell explains why customer experience is more important than price. He shares insights on managing rising prices, customer expectations, and making thoughtful business adjustments. The discussion covers the impact…
- Get Your Opportunity Through Persistence
This episode of Creating Disney Magic discusses how persistence, creative actions, and strategic networking can lead to career opportunities. Lee Cockerell highlights the importance of consistently showing up and earning visibility in comp…
- Train for Anticipated Problems
Lee Cockerell explains that effective training anticipates problems and must be enforced to create consistency. Customer expectations and frontline experiences are vital for identifying training needs and ensuring reliable service.
- Serve Customers By Saving Time
This episode of Creating Disney Magic discusses how respecting time builds trust and grows reputation, with examples from Disney's approach to efficiency. It highlights how leaders can uncover operational bottlenecks and improve customer e…
- A Good Manager is an Auditor
Lee Cockerell discusses how leaders should act as auditors, inspecting expectations for clarity, accuracy, and accountability. He explains that clear communication and consistent follow-up can transform fear into trust and prevent many wor…
- Creating Your Own Mastermind
This episode discusses forming a mastermind group by surrounding yourself with people who think differently to identify blind spots. It covers becoming an expert, the value of collaborative problem-solving, and the importance of psychologi…
- The Disney College Program
"When you invest in people, they remember how you made them better." Notable Moments 03:51 Why Disney invests heavily in the College Program even when most students don't stay. 05:24 How early work experience builds discipline and long-ter…
- Time Management in a Digital World
Lee Cockerell explains that disorganization stems from systems not keeping pace with responsibilities. He emphasizes personal accountability over tools for time management, the risks of neglecting small issues, and the benefits of a struct…
- How to Talk About the Work You Do
"If you can't clearly explain what you bring to the table, people won't know, and if they don't know, they can't value it." Notable Moments [03:31] What employers really want to hear [04:54] "Whatever you give me, I get it done." [06:01] R…
- Communicating Price Increases to Customers
"When you're high quality and reliable, people will keep coming." Notable Moments [02:42] Early lessons about customer perception when raising prices. [04:53] Why transparency and education matter when costs rise. [08:41] Storytelling and…
- Don't Let Your Customers Leave
"Don't give your customers a chance to go try somebody else. They might not come back." Episode Highlights [03:42] Why environment and people matter more than coffee quality. [06:55] Observations on cultural diversity in different coffee s…
- How to Give a Great Presentation
"Everything is hard until it's easy. The only way it gets easy is practice." Episode Highlights [00:01:36] Lee recalls his first attempt at public speaking at Marriott. [00:02:45] Advice from Bill Marriott's father-in-law [00:03:55] Practi…
- You Have the Authority to Make Changes
"If you want to be average, just let it go. If you want to be world class, everything matters." Notable Moments 00:01:19 – The mindset shift of removing excuses and taking ownership 00:02:37 – How an honest conversation with Al Weiss built…
- Employee Turnover is Your Fault
"If I'm having turnover again and again, there's something wrong. My job as the leader is to figure it out." Notable Moments [04:29] A landscaping business owner shares struggles with turnover and labor shortages. [06:18] The importance of…
- Humility and Leadership
"Humility puts people at ease. It makes people trust you more." Notable Moments 01:11 – Why humility is a byproduct of confidence 02:42 – A story about setting the right example for your team 05:51 – The freedom that comes from not chasing…
- Focus on Safety in the Workplace
"The best thing we can do as leaders is create the right environment and let people be focused on what they're supposed to be doing." Notable Moments 2:12 – Why safety applies to every role, not just customer-facing ones. 3:38 – Examples o…
- Prepare for the Impact of AI
"Technology always changes things, but AI is changing everything faster than ever before." Notable Moments [01:53] Technology has always changed the workplace. [03:52] Why job loss through automation is inevitable. [05:39] Examples of AI's…
- How to Fix a Professional Relationship
"Most of the time, when you've got a problem in your life, it's at least partially your fault." Notable Moments 00:03:25 – The story of missing a promotion and discovering who didn't support me. 00:04:37 – Recognizing the difference betwee…
- Isolation Leads to Anxiety in the Workplace
"Half the battle in life is just talking about it and making sure people feel safe enough to do so." Notable Moments: 00:03:00 – Mental health concerns in college students 00:04:10 – 40-60% of first-year students need counseling, while wai…
- Be Professional With Every Customer
"Usually, it's not the problem that is the problem. It's how you handle the problem that becomes the problem." Notable Moments [00:01:24] – Why business operations shouldn't impact how you treat a customer [00:02:49] – How to respond to cu…
- Everything Matters If You Want Exceptional Service
"People don't know until they're shown. Training gives your team confidence—and that's where exceptional service begins." Notable Moments: 1:06 – Listener question: How to train a team to deliver exceptional service 2:12 – Why video traini…
- Creating a Customer Experience Model
"The only thing that's going to matter are the people, nothing else." Notable Moments [01:49] Listener question on revamping a customer experience model [02:53] Leadership's role in defining and upholding standards [04:09] Why service must…
- Using Meaningful Customer Surveys
"Get to the point. Would you recommend us? Why? That's all you need." Notable Moments [02:20] The listener's question about improving customer surveys. [03:56] The two key survey questions Disney uses. [05:37] Challenges with long, complic…
- Say Yes to More Opportunities
"Take the chance to have as many experiences as you can. They really are educational—it's like going to school." Notable Moments [00:01:33] Reflections on opening Disneyland Paris [00:03:02] Why young professionals should embrace global ex…
- Life Is About Service
"Life is about service. When you help people, they don't forget." Notable Moments 00:50 – Staying grounded when your title changes 02:29 – Why relevance is fleeting and what matters more 03:55 – The power of knowing people's names and stor…