Latest / Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George / How Do You Build a Legacy That Outlives You? Leadership Lessons from Disney

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How Do You Build a Legacy That Outlives You? Leadership Lessons from Disney · Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How do you build a legacy that keeps your vision and purpose alive when you are no longer here to explain them?
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership lessons from Disney invite you to consider how amplifying your gifts and preparing others can help your work continue for generations.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps there's something you have wanted to create for years.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: You can picture it, you understand why it's needed.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And the thought of bringing it to life keeps finding you, even when you try to put it aside.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: If someone asked the person closest to you to explain that vision, what would they say?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Would they understand the purpose well enough to help move it forward?
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Recently, I visited all four Walt Disney World theme parks in one day, and it was amazing.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: But somewhere between the walk-in, the weather, and the wonder, I started thinking about what makes a vision strong enough to continue beyond the person who first imagined it.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm so glad that you are here.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the first episode of season two.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: On October 4th, Mosaic Sparks celebrated six months.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are a returning sparkler, thank you for making room for my voice in your day.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: If this is your first time listening, welcome to the sparkler family.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Wherever you are joining me from, I hope you feel at home.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: So as you step into this new season with me, bring in the idea you keep thinking about and the gift you are ready to give more room.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Today I want you to consider what it would mean to build something another person can understand, support, and carry forward.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: So my Disney day began at Magic Kingdom, and from there we went to Epcot, then Hollywood Studios, and ended the evening at Magic Kingdom.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Four parks in one day.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: I live in Florida and I've never done that, and it was absolutely amazing.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was wonderful.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: We planned it out right.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: But by the end, you know, my feet had some feedback.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, let's just say my feet had some feedback.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: The experience gave me four different ways to think about a vision and its future.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: So for those that may not know, Animal Kingdom opened on April 22nd, 1998, which at that time was Earth Day.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: That day fits a part centered on animals and the natural world.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: It shows how a detail can communicate purpose before anyone gives a speech explaining it.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Animal Kingdom was developed decades after Walt Disney's death.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Michael Eisner proposed the Animal Focus Park, and Joe Rhodes helped lead the team that brought it to life.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Walt helped establish the foundation for Walt Disney World.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Later, leaders and the creative team combine ideas that explain what that destination could become.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: That history asks something of you if you are building a business, developing a program, or bringing people together around a purpose.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Have you made room for someone else's gift?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: When you have worked hard to create something, you can become very protective of it.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: You remember the sacrifices behind it and the decisions that took hours to make.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Someone suggesting a different approach may feel as though they have walked into your house and started rearranging the furniture.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Their perspective may also help you see an opportunity you have missed.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Give that person enough understanding to make a useful contribution.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Explain the purpose, the people you hope to serve, and the standards you want to uphold.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Then listen to what their experience allows them to see.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: The future of your vision may include a contribution you would never have thought to make yourself.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Consider whether you have become the only person who can answer every question or approve every step.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: That can leave you exhausted and leave the work weighed in whenever you are unavailable.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Sharing responsibility becomes begins with giving someone clarity.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: That person needs to understand what you are trying to accomplish and they have room to act.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: So from Animal Kingdom, we moved over to Epcot.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Epcot opened on October 1st, 1982.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now Epcot stands for, it is actually an abbreviation, it stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Waltz originally envisioned a working community where people will live and new ideas could be tested.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: After his death, later leaders developed the theme park, adapting his interests in innovation and international exchange.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: His original proposal and the park you visit today have differences.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: That gives you something useful to consider.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: A vision may influence the future while the people carrying it forward respond to new circumstances.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now at Epcot, at the land pavilion, you can see innovation in agriculture in action.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Living with the land, it takes guests through greenhouses and fish farms.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: It introduces growing technologies such as hydroponics, which allows plants to grow without soil.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: I saw tomatoes growing in these little pods that were freestanding and they were just hanging from the ceiling.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I saw all kinds of intricacies.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now, sunshine seasons and garden grill serve produce and seafood that's grown at Epcot.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: There is a practical connection between what is produced and what reaches someone's plate.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: That made me think about what feeds your vision.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: You may want a larger audience or more opportunities.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you are ready to grow your business and help more people.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: What will support that growth?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: If more clients arrive, you may need a reliable way to serve them.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you get the speaking opportunity you've been pursuing, you need time to prepare.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your vision has needs that deserve attention before the next opportunity arrives.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your energy is one of those needs.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: You may be trying to build something meaningful with whatever is left of you at the end of the day.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: By the time you sit down to work, your mind is still carrying everything you handle for everyone else.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: You can love your purpose and feel tired pursuing it.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Take that feeling seriously enough to examine what would help.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you need protected time or someone to take responsibility for a task that keeps pulling you away.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Be specific about the support you need.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Just say I need help.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: I need help can leave another person unsure where to begin.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: I need someone to manage registration so I can prepare the workshop.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now that's give that gives them a clear way to contribute.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now at the land pavilion, growing food involves attention to the conditions that help it develop.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Your work deserves thoughtful attention to its conditions as well.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now that's part of the building, something that you can sustain.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So after Epcot, our next stop was Hollywood Studios.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: And Hollywood Studios opened May 1st, 1989, which originally was Disney MGM Studios.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: The park was developed long after Walt's death.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Although his early interest in giving the public access to filmmaking helped inspire its direction.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Later leaders and creative teams developed the idea into a park of his own.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, in true Florida fashion, about 3:30, it rained.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Florida apparently wanted a speaking part in our itinerary as well.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: But we had built in time for that, and we pretty much knew that around 3, 3:30, yeah, it was gonna rain.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: So we had bought ponchos.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: The rain obviously became part of the day, but it reminded me how quickly conditions can change after you've made plans.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know that feeling when you finally walked, worked out all the details, and suddenly something shifts.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: A person becomes unavailable or resource, a resource fail falls through, and you have to decide what to do next.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Return to the purpose before you decide.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: What are you trying to accomplish?
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Which part of the plan can change while you still pursue that outcome?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, those questions can help respond with greater clarity.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: You may need to wait, find support, or maybe to just take another route.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: A clear purpose also helps the person who might one day carry your work forward.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: The person could face circumstances you never encountered.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: They would need enough understanding to make a sound decision when your instructions do not cover the situation.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can't prepare an answer for everything that might happen.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And you can explain the reason behind the work and the principles that guide it, but that gives someone a foundation for making decisions.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: So now our final stop was the Star of the Parks, my favorite Magic Kingdom, which opened on October 1st, 1971.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Ah, what a beautiful place that is at night.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: The castle and the lighting gave the evening its own atmosphere, and the crowds seemed to increase as the night went on.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: After visiting three other parks, there was still something special about arriving at Magic Kingdom.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: I also kept thinking about something I had noticed during my visit.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when we're at the hotel, I hadn't seen a clean-in cart out in one of the hallways.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: That was an observation that day, and it made me consider how much planning one must do in the background for the experience.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Magic Kingdom service corridors, they allow the cast members to move behind the scenes.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that's just not that's just for everything with under the brand.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Activities such as delivering deliveries and garbage disposals happen away from the area where area the area where guests enjoy.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: Someone considered how the everyday work would happen while guests experience the park.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Bring that thought into what you are building.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: When someone attends your event or receives your service, they feel the preparation through the way the experience unfolds.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Clear communication helps them understand what is coming up next.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: A reliable process helps you deliver what you promise.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you keep answering the same question or rescuing the same task at the last minute, examine what's happening.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Someone may need clear instructions or a responsibility may need an owner.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Explain what a successful result looks like.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: You give that person a way to help and you give yourself room to focus on work that needs your attention.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Acknowledge their contribution.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: You may be the face people recognize while someone behind the scenes make an essential part of the experience possible.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Their effort deserves recognition.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: The history of Magic Kingdom brought all of these observations together for me.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Walt Disney died on December 15th, 1966.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Walt Disney World opened probably about five years after he died.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: He never stood inside the completed Magic Kingdom in Florida.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: And in October 1966, shortly before he died, he recorded a film explaining his Florida plans.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: That film was showed after his death and helped build support for the project.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: His brother Roy led the effort to complete Walt Disney World.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: Teams brought the plans into reality, and later leaders continued developing the destination.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Walt had given people something they could understand and act upon.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: That is where the brag comes into this conversation.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Be responsible for amplifying God's gifts.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: When you amplify your gifts, you give someone an opportunity to understand what you have to offer.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: They may learn from your experience or recognize how they can contribute to your work.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: You may have been taught to wait for someone else to notice your abilities.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking openly about what you know can still feel uncomfortable, especially if you worry about how it would be received.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: But consider the person who needs your knowledge.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: They may have no idea that whatever you possess, someone who could support your vision may never hear enough to understand its value.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: Your voice gives that connection an opportunity to happen.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Amplification can begin with expanding something you already know.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Record why you created your program.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Teach someone a method you developed.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Write the experience that helped you understand a challenge differently.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: You give your knowledge somewhere to live beyond in your own head and in your own memory.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: That is deeply personal responsibility.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: You remember what it costs to learn certain lessons.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know the disappointment you work through and the courage it took to begin again.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Someone else could benefit from the understanding you've earned.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: And through unbox your brilliance, I encourage you to give that understanding expression.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: Allow another person to encounter the gifts you have spent years developing.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: Your legacy can begin with a contribution you make today.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: A colleague you teach may pass that knowledge to someone else.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: A reader may use your story to make a decision you will never hear about.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: You can't predict every person your work will reach.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe maybe he did.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he did.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: But every time I am on that property, I am so in awe of someone having a vision, one person having a vision to create something, and for others to carry it out and to continue carrying that mantle for decades.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: You also deserve to experience the joy of seeing it grow while you're here.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Invite someone into the vision and give them a meaningful way to contribute.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: Pay attention to what becomes possible when you have support.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Before you finish this episode, choose one part of your work that currently depends entirely on you.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: What would someone else need to understand to help carry it forward?
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: Take one step this week.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: Write down the purpose or even record yourself explaining a process.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Share it with the person who could use that knowledge.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: Choose someone specific enough to complete, then put a time on your calendar to do that.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: If you would like a place to continue this conversation, join me in Spark Out Loud, which is my community on school.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: Bring the idea you may want to develop and question.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: And question you, the question that you are working through.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, once again, as I get ready to end this episode, my day at Disney gave me such a deep appreciation for vision that was communicated and people who accepted responsibility for its future.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Your gifts deserves an opportunity to reach someone.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: So once again, thank you, Sparklers, for joining me for the opening episode of season two of Mosaic Sparks.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm grateful that you've spent this time with me.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope you leave a clearer sense of one action that you can take as you move into the rest of your day.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: Carry this question with you.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: What will you amplify today that gives someone else the opportunity to carry your work forward tomorrow?
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, with that, sparklers, until next week, go out, share your vision.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: And you gotta know who you're gonna share this vision with.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Go out and share this vision.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, that's why I love I love everything Disney because this man had such a great vision and he never stepped foot on that property.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: So with that, look forward to seeing the new countries that the pod reaches.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: And as you know, I'll shout I'll shout them out on on one of our mini episodes.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: So look forward to seeing you next week on Mosaic Star Sparks.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: So bye for now.