An Exceptional Leader Lee Cockerell - Case Study Example

An Exceptional Leader Lee Cockerell Lee Cockerell was formerly the executive vice president of operations of Walt Disney World Resort between 1994 and 2006. Disney world resort popularly known as Disney world is termed as the world most visited entertainment resort. It is located in Lake Buena Vista in Florida southwest of Orlando in the United States. The place includes four theme parks, two water parks and 23 on site themed resort hotels. Other facilities available include: a campground, two health spas and physical fitness centers, five golf courses and other recreational venues and entertainment. The place was opened in 1971 inspired by the dreams of Walt Disney who wanted a theme park on the east coast that could supplement the Disney land in California (WDW, 2011). Lee Cockerell founded the Lee Cockrell LLC company. The company is a leadership, management and consulting company that specialize in leadership and management training with an emphasis on how to create world class customer services through exceptional leadership. The company works on the principle that there are many products and services in the market which are very similar; it is only through the interaction between the employees and the customers that makes the difference and gives the organization the competitive advantage (Horn, 2011). He speaks at various conferences, training people in a very simple down-to-earth style that relates to everyone listening to him. Lee has long experience in the hospitality industry and has worked with very many companies all over the world including the Hilton Hotels Corporation, Marriot Hotels and Resort before finishing off at the famous Walt Disney Company (Horn, 2011). It is after retiring that he formed his own company in order to share what he has learned all the years in the world’s biggest companies. This has made available his breakthrough methods for becoming a better manager and a great leader to others in order that they may become great leaders for their employees and their customers (Horn, 2011). Just like many other people who have strived to begin and run their business the number one problem that faces them is the problem of finances. This is because they cannot get help from other established businesses or banks. Banks cannot lend them money because they do not have the experience to run the company and secondly is that they do not have a security with which the banks can take in case they fail to repay the loaned money (Awogbenle & Iwuamadi, 2010). This becomes a big challenge and many people often fail to start businesses because of this problem. Cockrell was also faced with the same problem and this is well explained because of his poor background. He was just a farm boy and he did not have enough money that could help him start any business. Though he tried to seek for ways but he did not get any far because of the same reasons explained above (Cockrell, 2008). Many people and companies face the same problem at the start but once they are running they are able to secure funding from other sources such as banks and other financial institutions that help them in the running of the business. The second problem that faced Lee was lack of managerial skills. Just like other entrepreneurs, many of them begin with very little knowledge on how to run a business. They lack the essential management skills that are very important in ensuring that people and other resources are managed effectively so as to produce outcomes (Crispen Chipunza, 2011). The result is usually disastrous with many of the businesses closing down because of poor management. Many examples exist in the world today of such business and there are also many examples of people who have failed because of lack of managerial and leadership skills. Lee saw this and decided to pursue a degree in management so that he could understand better how to run a business effectively. With the relevant qualifications we see him rise up in the ladder holding various positions in multinational corporations and finally at Disney World where he has left a legacy. He realizes the problem that exists in the world as the one he was faced with and decides to begin a firm that trains people on management and leadership (Cockrell, 2008). The third problem is competition from other established companies. Many emerging companies are faced with this problem of dealing with competitors who are already established and have a huge market share. They have to come up with new products in order to curve a niche for themselves in the market (Crispen Chipunza, 2011). Entrepreneurs often find it difficult to come up with a product or service that is unique in the market that could give them an added advantage over the rest. They end up with products that are in the market and which have fierce competition. They therefore end up failing or closing down simply because of beginning off without the necessary managerial skills and then selecting a product that is not unique and thus stiff competition exists. Lee also faced this problem, he could not think of anything that was unique and that could have added advantage in the market (Cockrell, 2008). Coupled with financial difficulties he had to stop and think right in order to forge ahead. He began his company on the premise of training people to have a competitive advantage that could make them stand out in a world of similar products and services (Horn, 2011). Cockerell says that the only secret for creating “magic” in our careers, our organizations and our lives is very simple: outstanding leadership- the kind of leadership that will inspire employees, delight the customers and achieve extraordinary business results (Cockrell, 2008). Through the various positions he held at many different companies we see this being exemplified. He ran the Walt Disney for over a decade and it is very obvious from the image and reputation that the company has and the outstanding financial performance that Cockerell put his words into action. The company is seen as one of the most prestigious places to work with exceptional customer service. This is attributed to the leadership of Cockerell and others with outstanding leadership skills like him. Cockerell’s leadership can be described as transformational leader. His leadership and management style is based on transformational leadership with the ability to build others, recognize others potentials and relate well with others though he was rough at times (Jung, 2001). Transformational leadership is one in which one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. The transforming leader is one who shapes, alters and elevates the motives, values and goals of followers achieving significant change in the process (Jung, 2001). There are a few tenets of transformational leadership and these are evident in Cockerell’s management and leadership style. A transformational leader builds on a man’s need for meaning, (2) is preoccupied with purposes and values, morals and ethics, (3) transcends daily affairs, (4)is oriented towards long term goals without compromising human values and principles,(5) focused more on missions and strategies, (6)released human potential- identifying and developing new talent, designs and redesigns jobs to make them more meaningful and challenging and (7) aligns internal structures and systems to reinforce overarching values and goals (Jung, 2001). In his book Cockerell number one strategy is to remember that everyone is important. He talks of making sure that everyone matters and making them understand that they do actually matter (Cockrell, 2008). The leader should know the people or the team he is working with and they should also know him. Also he says that a leader should reach out to everyone in the team and make himself available at any given time. He also says that every leader should communicate clearly with his team, listen to them in order to understand them, standup for the excluded members, forget about the chain of command, avoid micro managing, design a culture and treat people in the same way you would want the customers to be treated. This forms a guideline and mirrors the essential tenets of a transformational leader that have been discussed above (Cockrell, 2008). Having worked in global corporations Cockerell realized the value of managing cultural differences in the organizations that he worked in. Many of the global corporations have workers of all kinds ranging from race, gender, social upbringing, thinking to skills and abilities. In order to work effectively with them a leader or a manger will need to have exceptional leadership skills in order to work effectively with them. Cockrell brings this aspect in his number nine strategy in the book. He says that leaders should be careful of what you say or do (Cockrell, 2008). An action that was harmless to one person may be very harmful to the other person. Words that are right to one individual may be very offensive to the other individual of a different culture. He therefore maintains that a leader should demonstrate a passionate commitment to his role, do what it takes to get the things done, set high standards, have a positive attitude, be a full time professional, model personal ownership, should not lose his humor, form partnerships and stay humble (Cockrell, 2008). He continues to say that a leader should always maintain positive attitude when managing people and make it contagious such that everyone in the organization has a positive attitude. The leader should show passion and commitment in his duties so that the employees also take charge of their duties. In very diverse groups forming partnerships is important for any leader and be available when required. This strategy he talks of it as essential in managing people of diverse origins (Cockrell, 2008). Cockrell can be seen to have been using the systems approach to management. According to this approach, a system is considered a collection of parts that are unified to accomplish an overall goal. If one part of the system is removed, the nature of the system is changed as well. A system can be a looked at as having inputs for example resources such as raw materials, money, technologies, people etc. (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). Processes for example planning, organizing, motivating and controlling, outputs that include products or services and outcomes that include enhanced quality of life or productivity for customers/clients. Systems are seen to share feedback among the four aspects of the system (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). The importance of this theory of management can be seen in the contemporary world such that mangers have begun looking at the organization in a broader perspective. Mangers are able to interpret patterns and events in the workplace as a result of the understanding that the organization works as a system (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). They have recognized the various parts and their interrelationship, for example the coordination of the administration with its programs, supervisors with workers etc. This has led to a systems kind of thinking where there is synchronization of tasks for effective performance of the organization and the employees. In his book Cockrell still emphasizes the importance of working together as a team. The interrelationship between the various people within the organization is evident in his book (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009). Cockrell motivated employees through various methods. In his book the strategy that he uses to motivate people is strategy number seven that he calls burning the free fuel. Here he talks of the following things as important: spending meaningful time with employees, recognizing employees by name and remembering to say thank you, catching them doing something right and making it public, recognizing and encouraging good ideas, give extra ARE to front line employee, and making ARE a natural part of the routine. He sees these aspects as very essential in motivating employees (Cockrell, 2008). Lee Cockrell is a great leader and a great manager at that. He has made a huge impact in many areas. The first area is the area of management. Through his book many people can now understand the various aspects that are important for any leader. Leaders to him are supposed to show outstanding leadership- a kind of leadership that inspires delights and fosters the organization to achieve extraordinary business results. Many people can learn from his management style and learn a lot from it. Through the book he has created a huge impact for managers already in the field and the upcoming managers. The second area he has made impact is in the hospitality industry especially the Hilton Hotels and The Disney world. Through his leadership and outstanding performance he has helped bring the companies’ in their present state. With his skills and abilities Disney Company has benefited a lot especially the workers who were below him in terms of training and mentorship. This is very important as he has helped develop others who are still working. The third impact he has made is education through conferences and seminars that he has been invited to share in the best ways to manage a company and people. Speeches at the Oklahoma conference for example have uplifted many as students also get to learn the various approaches that are effective at the workplace and those that are ineffective so that they can align their skills towards Cockerell management styles. In conclusion it is evident that Cockerell is an exceptional leader. From his humble beginnings he was able to make it to the top through training and constant struggle. He is a good manager whose skills and abilities can be emulated. His book provides a deeper insight into his way of thinking and management that has inspired people all over the world. References Awogbenle, A. C., & Iwuamadi, K. C. (2010). Youth unemployment:Entrepreneurship development programme as an intervention mechanism. African Journal of Business Mangement, 831-835. Cockrell, L. (2008). Creating Magic: 10 common sense leadership strategies from a life at Disney. New York: Doubleday Publishing company. Crispen Chipunza, T. M. (2011). Leadership Style, employee motivation and committment: Empirical evidence from consolidated retail bank operating in a depressed economy. African Journal of Business Management, 5(20) 8337-8346. Horn, J. V. (2011). Lee Cockerell: The Company. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from Lee Cockerell LLC: http://www.leecockerell.com/company.cfm Jung, D. (2001). Transformational and transactional leadership and their effects on creativity in groups. Creativity Research Journal, 13(2): 185-195. Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Behaviour: Key concepts, skills and best Practices. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin Publishers. WDW. (2011). About Disney World. Retrieved Decemeber 2011, 2011, from Walt Disney World: http://corporate.disney.go.com/index.html?ppLink=pp_wdig Read More