Walt Disney

Graduating students of American universities believe that the Walt Disney Compamy, Google, and the State Department are the ideal places to work. This is stated in the sociological study of American companies Universum Communications, Inc. According to the survey this year the most popular employers were companies and agencies, which were not leaders before. Thus, the first place the Walt Disney Company has taken, which in 2005 held only 17 seats. Now 11.23% of respondents would like to work there.

The Walt Disney Company is one of the largest entertainment corporations in the world. It was founded in October 16, 1923 as a small animation studio by brothers Walter and Roy Disney; now it is one of the biggest Hollywood studios, the owner of 11 theme parks and two water parks, as well as several TV networks, which include the American Broadcasting Company. Market capitalization in November 20, 2006 – about $ 69 billion.

Walt Disney Company owns several cable television networks, including The Disney Channel, ABC Family, Toon Disney, ESPN network of channels and SOAPnet. Disney has a significant proportion of shares Lifetime Television (50%), A & E Network (37.5%), E! (40%) and Jetix Europe N.V. (74%). Through the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Disney controls 10 local television stations, 26 local radio stations, as well as ESPN Radio and Radio Disney. Buena Vista Television is preparing to broadcast such television shows  as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” , “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “Ebert & Roeper”.

Disney owns the publishing company Hyperion, as well as the Internet division of Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), which owns Web sites Go.com, Disney.com, ESPN.com, ABCNews.com, and Movies.com.

In total, besides “Disneyland” and initial stages of “World of Walt Disney”, Walt Disney created (either directly or as the chief director) and recorded in an asset of 497 short films, 21 feature-length cartoon, 56 feature films, documentaries 7 “adventure” movies, 330 hours “Mickey Mouse Club”, 78 half-show “Zorro” and 330 hours of other TV shows. So, what is the reason of this great success?

Both for American children and their parents Disney’s studio has become a real factory of positive emotions. The roots of the Disney’s success are in his strength of will, courage and perseverance. He did not give up even when defeat seemed inevitable. He believed in his ideas and made reasonable solutions. Disney early was taught not to trust other people and philosophized that if the company liked his draft, he seriously thought about their realizing. If, however,  the idea was rejected immediately, Walt was ready to be up and doing, based on the assumption that his idea will fail. The power of Disney has been inextricably linked with his great self-confidence, which allowed him to go against the experts’ views. His works do not always succeed, but if there was success, it was amazing. Experts advised him not to make “Snow White”, “Pinocchio”, “Fantasia”, dissuaded from Disneyland. Walt ignored the advice and as a result of his stubbornness Disney’s empire appeared . Scale vision of the future was often unavailable Roy and most of his contemporaries.

One of the greatest ideas was the creation of Disney’s “timeless” heroes. He insisted that all references to the theme or the age were removed from the films . Now, viewing these films you feel some transcendental sense, allowing to escape into the world of fantasy. It also allows you to produce them again every ten years, without fear that they have become old-fashioned. Therefore, these films – just a brilliant economic idea for the Disney Company. During next fifty years, re-distribution of films made millions of dollars. “Snow White” deliberately was repeated every seven years to remember it and embraced a new generation of children. When in 1994 videotapes of this cartoon appeared, for thirty days  twenty-seven million cassettes were sold.

Disney belonged to the Promethian type of person who suffered from gigantomania. These qualities allowed him to use all opportunities with unquenchable zeal. For the future Disney was ready to mortgage the present and just loved to make new things. During the process he was rarely worried about money for his works. Thanks to these features Disney has created masterpieces of animation and some of the most important films of the whole era. But it also kept his studio on the verge of bankruptcy for years. Disney was not interested in box-office hits, he was interested only in the creative success of his pictures. Therefore, one his work usually became a hit, and the other failed.

Disney’s life and work resembled roller coaster; rose to the heights of success only to fall into the abyss of failure for many months. But Disney with his characteristic insight saw in the crisis a catalyst for creative activity.

“Overcome evil with good”, – the Bible teaches. Disney tried to embody this truth in life. Walt Disney insisted his films to be innocuous, funny, and with a rich imagination. The name of Disney has become synonymous with good and honest entertainment. It is often used as a symbol of purity of thoughts and morals, such as in the aphorism: “Apple pie, motherhood, and Disney”. The Disney’s requirement for the image of chaste and fair in business also had an impact on his reputation. Disney earned it by his hard work and deserved the knighting. His characters were created in the context of his own pure religious worldview. The basis of Disneyland is the Disney’s Victorian belief in the usefulness of pure entertainment the whole family. Disney was very polite and kind man, but never lost his taste for tricks.

As we can see Disney’s key business leader success traits are perseverance, highly imaginative, creative, and passionate natute, faith in his own dreams.

According to Walt Disney the formula of his success is: to dream, to invest in various projects and never stray from the intended course. He didn’t believe that there is such a height that can not subdue a person who knows how to dream. The secret of success lies in the four key points: observation, steadfastness, perseverance, and fearlessness. And the main of them – steadfastness. If he believed in something, he believed all the time, without hesitation, without a doubt.  In his opinion, courage is the main quality of the leader, regardless of how it is showed. Typically, courage involves some risk, especially in new enterprises. It requires innovation, adventurism to make new opportunities. The best way to create something is to stop talking and start to act. The leader is able to create something only if he does not work for money.