New Book! Disney, Leadership & You - Performance Journeys

I’m excited to announce that my newest book, Disney, Leadership & You, will be premiering at the D23 conference next week. I’ll be doing an exclusive book signing at Disney’s D23 Expo on Friday, July 14th, from 2-3 pm. You’ll find us in Exhibit Hall A/Booth 301E. It’s sponsored by the Annette Funicello Research Fund, and all proceeds from the sale of the book go directly to supporting this fund, which focuses on solutions for Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

Disney, Leadership & You

My newest book has been a work in progress for nearly the last five years. Clearly, The Walt Disney Company has emerged as the most successful entertainment corporation on the globe. Who has led this organization to greatness, and what are the lessons you can glean from these leaders to benefit your own organization? This book takes a look at Disney leaders great and small—from Walt Disney and Bob Iger, to remarkable animators, Imagineers, and Cast Members. We will study how these leaders attain real results while working effectively with others. We will showcase examples from Snow White to Frozen, from Disneyland to Shanghai Disney, and from Aulani to the Disney Cruise Line. Throughout the book, we will share ideas and stories that you can apply back to your own organization. As a foremost thought leader on best-in-business practices at Disney and on leadership principles, I promise you this book will showcase much about how you can learn to be a great leader.

This copy is a limited pre-publication version. A formal roll out of the book will be happening later this fall. But if you want to be among one of the very first to own this limited publication, please visit us at D23.

We will also have copies of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney’s Hollywood Studios: From Show Biz to Your Biz, available for purchase. The proceeds of those books will also support the research fund.

Disney, Leadership & You — *Annette Funicello with The Leader of the Club.*

Annette Funicello Research Fund

Beloved Mouseketeer Annette Funicello first noticed her MS symptoms in 1987 when she was making the movie Back to the Beach, a friendly spoof of her early sand-and-surf films that received both public and critical acclaim. Despite recurring symptoms, in 1989, Annette teamed up with long-time friend and Beach Party co-star, Frankie Avalon, for a successful year-long concert tour that re-lived the music and fun of the 1960s. By 1992, rumors and gossip began to surface in the press after Annette’s MS symptoms became increasingly pronounced. It was then that she decided to go public with her condition.

As she recalls in her book, “When stories about my MS came out, everyone gave me their love and prayers. I’m human, and sometimes I can’t help but ask, ‘Why me?’ But I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know now that my mission is to help others raise funds for MS.” True to her word, in 1993, she established the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases with a dream of finding a cure.

The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases is a non-profit foundation with a specific interest in supporting clinical studies that seek to expose the underlying cause of Multiple Sclerosis and therapies that show promise of reversing the symptoms of this and other neurological diseases. Unlike most non-profits, they have no paid staff, which allows the organization to operate at little cost, and per Annette’s wishes, ensure nearly all donated funds are used for research purposes only. In addition to their own fundraising activities, the organization relies on direct donations and fund-raisers held by others on their behalf to continue their research efforts.

Join us for this exciting event. I look forward to meeting with you at D23!