“How to Be Like Walt” by Pat Williams
I have always been a Walt Disney fan ever since I first put on the Mickey Mouse ears as a young child, and ever since then, the “magic” around everything Disney has continued to impress me. So what better way to learn the secrets of the Disney Empire than to read a book about Walt himself and I can proudly say, I was not disappointed. Although the writing style of the author wasn’t as “inviting” as other authors I’ve read, the stories, interviews, and lessons from Walt more than made up for that slight drawback for me. I very much enjoyed the book cover to cover.
Here are 3 of the main lessons that I have taken away from the “How to Be Like Walt” book:
1. Passion, Perseverance, and Performance. This man was so passionate about his career and making things the best of the best, almost to a fault. He was not the “nicest” boss to work for, but his staff/team loved him because they knew in his pursuit of greatness it was all about serving the customer – it wasn’t about them personally. And as they performed, the rewards were great, yet all of those rewards were invested back into the studio, park, and business future….it was never about the money for Walt.
2. Being successful is also about being successful at home. Even with his tremendous work ethic, travels, and meetings, Walt was most always home for dinner with the family and he never missed his daughter’s activities throughout their lifetime. I love that a man of his stature and success was ultimately committed to his wife and daughters just as much as he was committed to bring the Disney brand to new heights.
3. Tough and stressful times surround successful people too. Many times in life I believe that successful and happy people are given a “bad rap” about them not having it tough. This book, amongst many others about successful people, continue to show that we all have the same stressful and challenging situations in our lives. What separates the successful and the unsuccessful is how you handle those times. Walt was brilliant in surrounding himself with people that could handle the many challenges that they would face in their journey and he was someone that never gave up on his dreams – he and his team would always find a way.
I recommend this book in that it is a nice leisure read that has wonderful insights about one of America’s greatest entrepreneur’s whose ultimate heart was in creating a better place for future generations. I know you will enjoy learning about the man that has brought us Disneyland – “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
In service to your success,
Brandon W. Johnson
“Positive Energy Guy”
Be You. Lead from your Heart. Make a Difference.
