2.  Written by Lee Cockerell, former
Executive Vice President of
Operations, Walt Disney World
Resort
 Published in 2008 by Doubleday
Publishing Group, United States
of America
 266 pages
 ISBN 978-0-385-52386-8
 Available at Jarir Bookstore for
SR79.00

3. “It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way
we work that makes it”
• The above quote is the key to the book contents.
• The author shared the common sense practices
in leadership & management that proven to be
powerful to be a successful leader & manager,
but a lot of leaders & managers have forgotten it
• The author shared the 10 common sense
leadership principles that can be practiced by
anyone, in almost every industry

4. • Make sure that everyone matters and that everyone
knows it.
• Know your team
• Let you team get to know you
• Greet people sincerely
• Reach out to everyone on your team
• Make yourself available

5. • Listen to understand
• Communicate clearly, directly, and honestly
• Stand up for the excluded
• Forget about the chain of command
• Don’t micromanage
• Design your culture
• Treat people as you would want your customers to
be treated

6.  Ask ourselves frequently what have you done to show
that everyone is important and they know it
 Create an environment that makes every employee and
customer feel special
 Treat everyone as an individual
 Spend time getting to know our employees
 Give every employee the information & resources to
learn what he needs to know and acquire the skills he
needs to have
 Give everyone, regardless of his position the
opportunity to be heard
 Make yourself truly available to everyone on your team

7. • Be clear who’s responsible for what
• Remember that responsibility and authority go
hand in hand
• Make every position count
• Get as flat as you can
• Eliminate overwork
• Rethink the meeting structure
• Anyone can take responsibility for change
• Be prepared to take risks
• Expect resistance
• Don’t try to win every battle
• You’re never really done

8.  Create structure in the organization that;
o The operation runs fluidly in our absence
o The lines of accountability, responsibility and
authority are clear
o Decisions are made easily and efficiently
o Information flows to all levels smoothly
o Answers get to the right people quickly

9. • Define the perfect candidate
• Don’t settle for a clone
• Look for good people in unlikely places
• Involve the team in the selection process
• Select by talent, not by resume
• Find a good fit
• Hire people who are smarter and more talented
than you
• Describe the job completely

10. • Check out candidates personally
• Ask revealing questions
• Use structured interviews when possible
• Find out what really matters to your applicants
• If possible have candidates demonstrate their
expertise
• Select the best candidate, not the best one available
• Look for people to nurture and promote
• Constantly evaluate performance
• Recognize when the job doesn’t fit the talent
• Terminate quickly and kindly
• Don’t lose touch with those you lose

11.  Think about what the perfect candidate would look
like before we start recruiting new employees or
promoting from within
 Select the best person for the job, not the best one
available
 Consider carefully how a potential hire will blend in
with the current team
 Involve team members at all levels in the interview &
selection process
 Be willing to make difficult decisions about
removing or reassigning talent that isn’t the right fit

12. • Give people a purpose, not just a job
• Take your role as a teacher seriously
• Become a COACH
• Teach by example
• Teach the principles of great service
• Train people for magical moments and take 5s
• Teach them how and where to spend their time
• Communicate constantly
• Give feedback immediately and effectively
• Prepare them for the unexpected

13.  Ask ourselves “How many courses or program does the
company offer & how many we personally conduct?”
 Take seriously our responsibilities as a teacher, coach
and counselor in the organization
 Teach our employees how to perform the technical
aspects of their roles and how to exceed customers’
expectations
 Create multiple ways to communicate regularly with the
staffs
 Give constructive feedback promptly & effectively
 Remember, we’re teaching by example every minute of
every day
 Make sure everyone understands what’s expected of
him or her

14. • Ask what rather than who
• Listen to your customers
• Learn firsthand what’s working and what’s not
• Constantly query people
• Harvest process solutions from employees
• Try an audit exchange program
• Stay technically up-to-date
• Think ahead
• Look at your personal processes
• Expect resistance
• Periodically evaluate the changes you make

15.  When a problem arises, seek out the process
failure; don’t just look for someone to blame
 Make sure we have processes in place to prepare
for problems before they arise
 Ask, “Why do we do it that way?” more often
 Ask ourselves, “How many ideas & suggestions for
process improvements have I generated and
tracked in the last thirty days?”
 Eliminate headaches from our personal routine by
getting organized

16. • Get out and about routinely
• Get a ground-level view
• Meet regularly with direct reports
• Assemble small groups
• Make them feel safe
• Probe for the whole story
• Answer the tough questions
• Get formal feedback about yourself
• Constantly evaluate your spending

17.  Walk through employee and customer areas several
times a day, especially at the beginning of the day
 Be visible in the workplace to employees and
customers
 Follow through on every idea and concern the
employees share with us. Always keep our word
 Find ways to create comfortable relationships with
everyone in our workplace
 Experience the operation from the customers’ and
employees’ points of view regularly

18. • Spend meaningful time with employees
• Recognize employees by name
• Catch them doing something right
• Make it public
• Include their families
• Recognize and encourage good ideas
• Give extra ARE to front line employees
• Make ARE a natural part of your routine
• Watch your language

19.  Spend meaningful time with the employees and
direct reports
 Make a point of remembering names and saying
thank you
 Make a point of letting people know specifically
what they’re doing right
 Coach and train employees on the spot in better
ways to perform their jobs
 Greet everyone we come contact into with

20. • Be a knowledgeable sponge
• Fill in your gaps
• Master business fundamentals
• Learn from the best
• Learn from your competitors
• Keep up with your colleagues
• Study your customer base
• Follow the compass
• Expand your horizons
• Keep the people you lead ahead of the pack

21.  Stay current with industry & business trends as well
as cultural trends and social movements
 Go on “best-practice trips” to learn from
companies with great reputations
 Consistently ask the employees what the
organization can do better
 Aggressively solicit information about the services
and products our competitors offer
 Keep up with the changes in our industry by going
to the right meetings, reading the right journals,
and know the right people

22. • Demonstrate a passionate commitment to your role
• Do what it takes to get the job done
• Set high standards
• Have a positive attitude
• Look and carry yourself like a professional
• Be a full-time professional—even when the curtain
is down
• Model personal ownership
• Don’t lose your sense of humor
• Be a great partner
• Stay humble

23.  Maintain a positive attitude, and make it
contagious
 Always display passion and commitment
 Focus on collaboration rather than conflict in
problem solving
 Create strong partnerships, and always be available
when our partners need us
 Be a role model for professionalism. And
remember, we are always onstage!

24. • Anticipate ethical dilemmas
• Live your values
• Train for character, not just skill
• Teach your values

25.  Know what we stand for, and live by those values
every minute of every day
 Be kind, sensitive, and respectful to all, even when
we are coaching and counseling them on their
performance. A strong leader is a tough leader, not
a hardhearted one
 Never humiliate anyone. We do not have the right
to.
 Create a diverse workplace, and then respect the
differences in everyone around us
 Take the time for relaxation and fun, and
encourage the team to do the same