LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
It has been our pleasure to get to know the leaders and staffs of our featured
organizations . . . The Cheesecake Factory, Downtown School (Des Moines), Ernst
& Young, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Griffin Hospital, John Roberts' Spa
and Men's Wearhouse . . . and discover their own Dream, Believe, Dare, Do magic.
All are industry icons who set a standard by which others in their fields should
be judged. For example, the dramatic results of Downtown School illustrate the
need for a dramatic paradigm shift in the American educational system.
The University of Michigan Business School's National Quality Research Center
compiles and analyzes the American Customer Service Index (ASCI). This study
began in 1994 when the index for the retail sector was close to 75%, then eleven
years later at 73.5%. It still amazes us that even though Disney has been the
"poster child" for "be our guest" service since the opening of Disneyland in
1955, painfully few companies have been inspired to emulate Disney's culture.
Yet, when Dell introduces the latest and greatest new feature on one of their
computers, within 60 days, the HP engineers are able to incorporate their
version of the feature into their own products. They are able to take apart a
Dell computer and discover the secret. Yet, every day, The Walt Disney Company
is wide open, and thousands of people around the world can actually see the
"secret" treat customers like guests in their own house. They do this in front
of the whole world, but few get it!
Our featured organizations masterfully apply Walt Disney's definition of
leadership to grow and nurture their cultures: "The ability to establish and
manage a creative climate in which individuals and teams are self-motivated to
the successful achievement of long-term goals in an environment of mutual trust
and respect." There are many striking leadership similarities between our
feature companies. Lets consider the key elements of Walt's definition
beginning with "establish." Like Walt, each of our leaders established or
changed their organizations to create "magical moments" for their guests an
upscale casual dining adventure offering 200 plus menu choices; a truly unique
five-star hotel experience based on The Golden Rule; a financial services firm
where the staff cares for the client and the firm cares for the staff; a
hospital that is patient-centered rather than physician-centered; a clothing
store where "wardrobe consultants" live the "I Guarantee It" philosophy; a
school where students take accountability for their own learning; a spa with
"the Norm factor" where everybody knows your name As diverse as these
organizations are, they all have a common thread . . . a leader who "dreamed" of
a building something unique that differentiated themselves from their
competition; "believed" in the value of their people; "dared" to take risks
along the way; and then just "did it!"
The next key in Walt's definition of leadership is "manage a creative climate."
Walt defined managing as "developing your people through their work and at the
same time having fun." Walt believed that leaders are responsible for developing
and training people and providing them with the tools to succeed. All of our
featured companies are passionate about providing opportunities for their
employees to increase their competencies. Ernst & Young has even achieved
national recognition for its training, currently ranking as number three on
Training magazine's Top 100 list. Aside from "hard skills" training, our
featured organizations are among the best at placing "soft skills" training at
the forefront of their cultural initiatives. They all provide an orientation
experience in which employees become immersed in their respective cultures and
upon "graduation", are energized and self-motivated to live the vision and
values of their organizations. It is also important to note that in each of
these organizations, "fun" is not a dirty word. Sure everyone has those days
when everything seems to go wrong when deadlines pile up, or when you wish you
had called in to report that you were "sick." But as one person told us, "I
don't always like my job when I go home at night, but I am always excited to get
back at it in the morning." When employees truly embrace the values of the
organization, they not only feel a sense of pride but can also experience the
freedom to be themselves . . . and yes, have fun.
Let's consider the meaning of "self-motivated." All of these leaders have
realized that when properly trained, their employees can and should be making
decisions to create those special moments for their customers. Be it the doorman
at the Four Seasons, or the hair dresser at John Robert's or the manager at
Ernst & Young they all know that management has entrusted them with one of the
most important elements of any business -- the customer experience. An empowered
workforce is a self-motivated workforce.
Like Disney, our featured organizations have a working definition of "long-term"
that speaks volumes about culture. In the typical company, "long-term" thinking
relates to a strategic objective for adding products, services and perhaps new
locations. Companies such as Four Seasons and The Cheesecake Factory define
"long-term" thinking in terms of values and beliefs upon which their growth is
based. They go to great lengths to ensure that their cultures can support new
ventures and still remain true to their credos.
Arguably the most important part of Walt's leadership definition is "mutual
respect and trust." Without exception, these two values represent a common
thread woven through each of these organizations from Cheesecake Factory's
five-year profit-sharing programs that rival many 30-year retirement plans;
Downtown School's teachers who never raise their voices in anger in their
classrooms; Ernst & Young's "People First" philosophy; Four Seasons Hotels'
Golden Rule strategy; Griffin Hospital employees' willingness to risk their jobs
to retain their cherished leader; John Roberts' relationship the patients and
families of Cleveland's Children's Hospital; and Men's Wearhouse leaders who
take responsibility when their employees fail.
Since the dawn of our new century, these seven organizations have cemented their
"best practices" success. We believe that Walt Disney would be proud of their
many accomplishments and especially for the proof that there is still magic in
his original credo . . .dream, believe, dare, do.