During the Spring 2015 and Summer 2015 Quarters at North Central College I will be attending the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I will be working in the Disney College Program from April 6th, 2015 until August 7th, 2015. This be a valuable learning experience for me to see the unique, world-renowned leadership style that the Walt Disney Company practices. I am specifically interested in exploring the different management and leadership styles that are present within the Disney College Programs managers and employees. I know this will be an invaluable experience for me to see firsthand the successes and different styles of a Fortune 500 company that is known worldwide for its innovative and prosperous leadership strategy. I would specifically like to explore 3 major leadership theories within the management and day to day administration of operations which are: transparency (or lack of) in the Disney College Program and the Walt Disney Company as a whole, authenticity of managers and Disney College Program staff and the implementation of the team leadership style within my specific role in the Disney College Program. Additionally, I expect to spend well over 400 hours in field experience (research) at Walt Disney World and anticipate to have ample research to provide for an 80-hour academic project, in addition to continuing my research as part of my honors thesis.
The motivation for choosing the Disney College Program as a place to explore different Leadership, Ethics and Values concepts is simply for Disney’s extraordinary reputation for innovative and creative leadership. Aside from the Walt Disney Company’s massive international success, they have always had a reputation for being a trailblazer in new and effective leadership. Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, was sometimes criticized for his radical and visionary leadership. However, he was a groundbreaking leader in developing and expanding the Disney Company. Being in the Disney College Program, I will be exposed to a vast range of leadership styles through different managers and team leaders that I come in contact with. I will be working in the Attractions department during my time at Walt Disney World. The Attractions department has one of the highest interactions with guests, as well as with other team members. While working in my role I will have a manager, team leaders for each shift, as well as other colleagues working in the position with me. Disney offers the opportunity for personal and professional development through every role in the program. However, I feel my role in Attractions will be especially relevant to my professional development due to the team leadership aspect.
The major theories which I will explore during my program are team leadership, authenticity and servant leadership, while also incorporating aspects of organizational transparency. These theories are the leadership models which I am most interested in gaining more knowledge on. They are considered contemporary leadership models and I would like to be able to research further each of these theories, specifically relating to the Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company has been criticized for not being particularly transparent with its workers and the Disney College Program has been critiqued on its lack of authenticity with the programs participants. Though I feel I will effortlessly be able to identify the use of team leadership in my position, I feel I will also be able to classify both the theories and issues that surround transparency and authenticity within this immense organization.
Izzy Gesell of the Journal for Quality and Participation describes transparency as, “more than simply being honest and open about information and actions,” (16). Keeping this definition in mind while examining leadership in Disney, I am interested in seeing how transparency is interpreted and demonstrated in managerial or situational leadership roles. I will also observe how transparency is not practiced in Disney and if the company and program as a whole establishes transparency. Though team leaders and managers may share information with employees, I am interested in digging deeper and finding out if the company is truly transparent or if they just appear to be transparent but are simply selective in the information that is shared with employees.
I am also interested in exploring authenticity within the Disney College Program. I will focus on authenticity within managers and staff and the degree to which they act (or do not act) authentically. I will also observe how team leaders and other participants in the program act authentically or if other leaders have ulterior motives and consistently act in an unauthentic manner. Being authentic at its core is, “being true to oneself,” (Liedtka, 238) and I am interested in seeing how many people are able to act authentically in a competitive and high-pressure type of role.
Finally, I would like to investigate how team leadership plays a role within my specific role in the Attractions department and how other Disney employees practice team leadership. Team leadership is described by Jay Carson from Southern Methodist University as, “leadership distributed among team member,” (1217). I believe I will be able to see the emergence of teams and team leadership within my role in Attractions because leadership of Cast Members are self-directed based on employees and shifts. In this way, I will be able to observe how team leadership is facilitated and created within different groups of people.
I am confident that my time with the Disney College Program will enhance my understanding of leadership. I know that my time with this company will be used wisely to gain valuable professional networking and experience and that I will be able to study and experience firsthand the different types of leadership models and theories that make up this revolutionary company. I am certain that my time (academic and field research) will provide me with enough information and experience to transform my personal understanding of leadership. I am sure that this life-changing experience will benefit me not only professionally, but personally as I explore the depths of leadership models.
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