Podcasts Other You, Me, and Your Top Three Magic Kingdom Leadership Lessons (wsg Lee Cockerell)

Magic Kingdom Leadership Lessons (wsg Lee Cockerell)

Published: Jan. 27, 2021, 5:25 p.m.

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During this episode, You, Me, and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, discusses the magic of customer-centricity. Gregg speaks with Lee Cockerell who threaded magic in all customer experiences in the Magic Kingdom, Disney, and who managed some of Disney\\u2019s largest resorts and is a student of hospitality. Of course, Lee speaks about his top three from a boss who taught him how to be confident, to a mentor who showed him all the ways of being hospitable, to his grandmother who started him on the journey, and his wife of 52 plus years who kept him on it, and to the former president of Disney who helped him to learn, listen and manage experts. And you have to hear what he has to say about making the schedule of life\\u2019s priorities part of your daily routine, all this and more!

About Lee Cockerell

Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World\\xae Resort.\\xa0 \\u201cAs the Senior Operating Executive for ten years, Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.\\u201d

One of Lee\\u2019s major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies which was used to train and develop the 7,000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project.

Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of Heart of Florida United Way, the Board of Trustees for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the board of the Production and Operations Management Society, and the board of Reptilia a Canadian attractions and entertainment company. In 2005 Governor Bush appointed Lee to the Governor\\u2019s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service for the state of Florida where he served as Chairman of the Board.

He is now dedicating his time to public speaking, authoring a book on leadership, management, and service excellence titled, Creating Magic\\u2026 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney, which is now available in 13 languages, and his latest book, The Customer Rules\\u2026 The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Lee also performs leadership and service excellence workshops and consulting for organizations around the world as well as for the Disney Institute. Lee has received the following awards:

  • Golden Chain Award for Outstanding leadership and business performance from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operations Association (MUFSO).
  • Silver Plate Award for Outstanding Operator in the foodservice industry from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA).
  • Excellence in Production Operations Management and Leadership (POMS) from the Productions and Operations.
  • Grandfather of the year from his three grandchildren, Jullian, Margot, and Tristan.

Lee and his wife Priscilla live in Orlando, Florida.

Show Highlights

Segment 1: Overview

1:01\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 What do customer touchpoints, customer journey, customer experience, customer-centricity mean?

2:07\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cThe full view of the customer is so easy yet, so complex\\u2026 what it comes down to is empathy\\u201d

3:07\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Put the customer in the middle

4:09\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Welcome an expert in empathetic thinking: Lee Cockerell

5:43\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Lee Cockerell: A boy whose story begins on a farm in Oklahoma

Segment 2: The \\u201cTop Three\\u201d

11:27\\xa0\\xa0 Lee\\u2019s Top Three begins with his grandmother and a General Manager, Bud Davis, who helped him refocus his attitude

13:46\\xa0\\xa0 Diffusing defensiveness by building trust \\xa0

15:35\\xa0\\xa0 Lee\\u2019s Top Three continues with Eugene Scanlan from Waldorf Astoria who taught him a lot \\u2013 \\u201cthe service itself is what shines, not the individual providing the service\\u201d

19:59\\xa0\\xa0 Lee\\u2019s Top Three expands with his wife of 53 years, who keeps him most in order \\xa0

22:37\\xa0\\xa0 Expanding beyond food and beverage into full park management

23:42\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cI didn\\u2019t try to be the expert in everything; my philosophy is to hire the experts and let them do their job.\\u201d \\xa0

25:25\\xa0\\xa0 Letting go of always being in control and a successful career to thank for it

28:24\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cMost people leave leaders, they don\\u2019t leave the company.\\u201d

29:04\\xa0\\xa0 Lee\\u2019s Top Three concludes with Judson Green who gave him his shot in Orlando

29:54\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cHe asked a lot of questions\\u2026 he knew if you knew what you were talking about or not.\\u201d

31:25 \\u201cI want to be remembered as a teacher, not a boss because nobody likes a boss, a teacher teaches people.\\u201d

Segment 3: Transformation & Disruption

32:33\\xa0\\xa0 Lessons from Lee: Time Management, Customer Skills and Creating a better culture

37:28\\xa0\\xa0 Disney\\u2019s take on the customer experience \\xa0

38:45\\xa0\\xa0 \\u201cTreat every customer as an individual\\u201d

Segment 4: Wrapping Up

41:34\\xa0\\xa0 One additional lesson from Lee: \\u201cSchedule the priorities in your life\\u201d

44:24\\xa0\\xa0 How to get in touch with Lee

Additional Information

Contact Lee Cockerell:

Contact Gregg Garrett:

Contact CGS Advisors:

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