Mitlin Money Mindset
How Disney Trains World-Class Leaders: Lee Cockerell’s Blueprint for Career Success
Key Takeaways
- How Lee built his career with no college degree
- Lessons he learned working at Hilton and Marriott
- The reason some leaders fail
- How Lee's leadership style has evolved
- The habits and mindset that made him successful
- The legacy of his book, Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney
Meet the Guest
Lee Cockerell
Lee Cockerell retired as the Executive Vice President of Operations for the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a position he held for ten years. His responsibilities encompassed a diverse mix of operations, which included 20 resort hotels with over 24,000 Guest rooms, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 5 golf courses, a shopping village & nighttime entertainment complex, the ESPN Sports Complex and the ancillary operations support functions.
Lee joined the Disney organization in July 1990 as Director of Food and Beverage and Quality Assurance for the Disneyland Paris hotels. Prior to joining the Walt Disney World Co., he spent seventeen years in various executive positions with the Marriott Corporation and eight years with Hilton Hotels.
Lee is the best-selling author of four books on leadership, management and world class customer service:
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney is now available in 21 languages.
The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service is currently available in 15 languages.
Time Management Magic: How to Get More Done Every Day
Career Magic: How to Stay on Track to Achieve a Stellar Career
Lee and his wife Priscilla reside in Orlando, Florida. Lee enjoys teaching leadership, management and service excellence seminars, traveling, dining out and most of all spending time with his three grandchildren, Jullian, Margot, and Tristan.
Show Notes
Behind the scenes at Disney, it’s leadership that truly runs the show. In this episode, Lee Cockerell shares the surprising leadership secrets that helped him oversee 40,000 cast members as the former VP of Operations for Walt Disney World Resort.
From his time at Hilton, Marriott, and Disney, he breaks down the habits and leadership principles that helped him become one of the industry’s most respected leaders. You’ll learn what it takes to be successful in any role, why routines matter more than you think, and how to become the kind of leader people want to work with.
Resources
Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready?
The JOY and Productivity Journal by Lawrence Sprung
Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision?
About the Podcast
Welcome to Mitlin Money Mindset®️! With your host, Larry Sprung, CFP®️, Founder and Wealth Advisor at Mitlin Financial Inc®️. With over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the financial services industry, Larry thrives to help you achieve your goals while finding JOY in the journey.
Each week, he’ll go deep with engaging guests who provide tangible takeaways and a whole lot of JOY along the way. Here, we don’t just talk about money; we celebrate it as a catalyst for JOY and possibility. Whether you’re saving for the future, planning your next big adventure, or just looking to add some spark to your daily money management, you’re in the right place.
We hope you enJOY these conversations as much as Larry enJOYed having them. And remember to ask yourself, what did you do today that brought you joy?®️