What is authentic leadership? It is a question we are hearing more frequently from participants in our Disney Institute training courses. As today’s organizations and customers place more and more emphasis on transparency, being truly authentic is a real must for all leaders.
Great leadership is definitely not an act. Leadership behaviors are the key to earning employee trust and having a direct and lasting impact on employee engagement. It is critical for leaders to consistently display authentic actions that genuinely represent their “true selves.”
At Disney Institute we believe leadership is a verb, and thus great leadership depends on the actions one takes with respect to personal and organizational values. We call this “values-infused leadership.” In the Leadership Excellence professional development course, we teach participants that if leadership is demonstrated through actions then, ultimately, every leader is telling a story about what he or she values by the way he or she behaves.
So how can we as leaders ensure we are consistently behaving in a manner reflective of who we really are?
In his book The Culture Cycle, James Heskett defines culture in a simple way: “It’s often explained as being ‘the way we do things around here’ – what goes and what doesn’t.” At Disney, that explanation is handed down through stories about Walt Disney’s very personal style of hands-on leadership.
Victor Polwektow, now Wardrobe Host at Disneyland Resort, had been on the job in the kitchen of a Disneyland restaurant for only a couple of weeks when his manager told him Walt would be coming. Polwektow figured Walt would be out front in the dining area, so there would be no chance of seeing him.
“And then all of a sudden, we’re looking in the back dock area and there’s this gentleman in a suit and tie,” Polwektow recalls. “And he’s getting closer and we were like, ‘Wow, that’s Walt Disney.’ And he’s in the back, checking things out, looking at the back dock, seeing if things are in place. He walked down the hallway where I was and looks at me, shakes my hand, says, ‘Hi, young fella. How you doing?’ I go, ‘Just fine, sir!’”
The lesson stuck with Polwektow: “Walt made sure it [the company] was run like a family business… You felt like you were part of a huge family. Even though you really didn’t know everybody, you felt connected.”
How important is it that this Cast Member still recalls that story today? How many people do you think he has shared that story with? What impact has that story had on others over the years?
At Disney Institute, an authentic leader understands that this is really the way we do things around here. Authentic leaders provide an environment consistent with recruiting, selection, onboarding, and training experiences. Without that, it feels like a broken promise, which can quickly erode trust.
It is important for leaders to realize that if there is too great a difference between their personal values and the organization’s values, the relationship may not be sustainable. Your personal values can eventually drown out the organization’s values. For example, if you claim to be a proponent of work-life balance, yet your workload compels you to send emails to your direct reports and partners on weekends – what signal are you really sending about what you value? The leader who says “Do as I say, not as I do” is demonstrating this inconsistency between his or her values and the organization’s values. Leaders must live the story they tell. If your values do not align, you will not be able to authentically be a part of the organization’s culture.
Do not try to be someone you are not for a short-term gain (e.g., to get the job); it may cause you to stumble in the long run. That can also be very transparent to others.
Being authentic means recognizing, valuing, and appreciating the unique strengths, talents, and passions of each person. Being authentic allows leaders to build relationships based on trust. When leaders build relationships based on trust, information flows to them.
How are you demonstrating authentic leadership today? What opportunities have you identified for personal growth?
About Disney Institute
As the trusted, authoritative voice on the Disney approach to customer experience, Disney Institute uses business insights and time-tested examples from Disney parks and resorts worldwide to help organizations develop the customer experience culture they are capable of delivering. For nearly three decades, Disney Institute has helped professionals discover ways to positively impact their organizations and the customers they serve through immersion in leadership, service, and employee engagement. Unique to Disney Institute is the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a “living laboratory” to observe firsthand how Disney methodologies are operationalized and how they can be adapted and applied to any work environment.
Let our experience change yours. To learn more about courses that explore the Disney approach, visit DisneyInstitute.com.