Allen Weiss went from being a cashier at Walt Disney to directing the worldwide Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. From Paris to Hong Kong to the Caribbean to Florida, Allen Weiss is in charge. Allen focuses on Servant Leadership, and how to live your life as a leader.

He’s the worwide director of Walt Disney parks and resorts. It includes Hong John, Paris, etc. he overseas the Disney cruise lines and vacation club. Aside from that he’s got a lot of spare time to hang out. John is going to conduct the interview. Al Weiss.

It’s such a delight to have you with us. Welcome to the Simulcast. We’re excited! You have a lot to share. let’s start off with the fact that in 1972 you were an hourly cast member for the Disney people. From that time you ahve worked yourself ot the position you are in today? What did you specifically do to get from the hourly member to what you are now.

Let me give you some background. My father was a pastor his entire life. When I started as a entry level cast member I was just in college and I thought that when I finished college I would go out and get a real job. The reality of that is I moved into 2 jobbs. I moved around an awful lot. Saw our parks busines. Our entertianment, our marketing and sales. What I did was not unusual. I worked exteremely hard and I tried to learn everything that I could. I would try to learn every single thing about entertainment. I see people out there and when you go into Lenubu today you want to see every single thing that’s about that show. Not just what’s on that stage but what’s behind the stage. How the business side of it it works. All of that I did as I moved through the ranks. I movedthrough each of the jobs and had more responsibilitity. I worked in cast cntrol my very first job. My job was to clear the cash registers back to zero. I’d bring the receipts back. They’d bring th emoney with lockboxes. The’d match it up. And then I moved on along the way that way. My last job at wlt disney world was the president of walt disne world. It sounds prestigious but at the time Wlat Disney World was very robust. There wasa major study that showed it would declive very rapdily. They were going to put no new capital into the business. They said Al we want you to be the preisdent of this organization. I ahd a couple choices to make. I could ride the wave or put in a enw team. So i went and changed the business. We decided to do national television advertising. We looked at how e delivered product and sales. And the busines gew over the 12 years I was the president. We built an awful lot of the businesses. Webuilt Disneys Magic Kingdom e built downtown disney. We rew the usiness like we thought we should. Then I had the opportunity to move into the job I’m in today.

I’ve ogten said the test of a leader is the ability to take something that is downward and to stop the trend and get it going upward. It’s obvious when they’re not putting in more capital they call you to be the leader. It’s objvous that you have some great leadership skills to take that and turn it around. How many people report to you? How do you invest in them personally and professionaly?

There’s about 10 people who report to me directly. They oversee large businesses each and every one of them. These are large businesses that htey’re running. What I do with each and every person is try to pick the very best person for hte job. You’ve got to find great people in these roles all the time. I go at it from a “How can I help you suceed in your career?” and they look at me like “What do yo mea? and my oal is to empower them to help them succeed to the greatest extent. I meet with them. We do performance development plans and mid year check ins. The most important thing that I do is let them run their businesses.

Would you share ith our audience. 95% of the decisions the CEO of a company could make could be made bya  decently smart high school kid, but the CEO gets paid for the other 5%. Just talk about hose decisions

It happened when were were getting into a new line of business. We had licensed our characters to the big redboasts. We decided it wasn’t the experience. We were designing the cruise ships. The designs came back with cabins and food and befverages and casino gambling. And I decided that didn’t fit our family market. I went to the current chariman of the company and I said I think we should eliminate the casino gambling. And I gave him the number that it would cost 10s of millions of dollars. but I persisted and we worked on the plans. These famiies are going to spend more on merchandies. So we want to deliver this family business. I guarnatee we will make the same rofitability on this cruise buisiness without casino gambling. We built the ships and today I can tell you that we have the most profitable cruise ships on a per passengar basis. It far exceeds our original plans.

I had a converation with a riend of mine, Linda, who were talking about leadership. Everyone enjoys learning about leadership. but they don’t want to live the life of a leader. You don’t have anything on the line. But when you start living leadership you’re decisions are on the line. They have to be courageous decisions. When you’re the chairman you’re putting your leadershi[ right on the line. That’s what all leaders do. That sows the courage side. But I also know that you’re a servant leader. And people think you can only be one. Talk to us about your servant leadership.

I actually got great learning all the way through my caerrer about this. Because I had those top down control tpe leaders. I had those command and control leaders. The dictator leaders. I realize that there was something missing in each of those styles. What I reverted back to was my father who was a tremendous leader. I learned more from my father about business and I saw the heart of a servant leader fom him. It was very easy for me to transition from a typical leadership style to a servant leadreship style. What it said was that I care about you. I care about your successas much as I care about every one elses and my own. You learn about the. You lwarn how to help them. You learn how to shore them up when they need help, and how to back away when they don’t THey grow to their fullest potential. It’s the most fulfilling thing they can find. I tell you what it doesn’t take away one ounce of your leadership. You’re just empowering those people to the fullest extent of their careers.

Al you’re helping so much. I lvoe how you’re answering these questions. let’s talk about the lessons you’ve learned from attributes. Let’s talk about a major attribute. Creativity. Could you give us a lesson on creativity?

Creativity is a really important attribute especially in the Disney company. We have an Imagniuaruium re. They design our attractions, our ships, etc. They entertainment team does our shows. I get to work with creative types all throughout thecompany. It doesn’t matter what line of business you are in there is creativity. There are business people who are highly creative. they come up with creative business solutions every day. You have to deliver great creative product, day in and day out. by doing that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Creativity is centered around a creative approach as an individual. You will walk through life with a bounce in your steop. It guides and directs our procesess.es

let’s talk about success. You’ve encountered quite a bit in your life. What’s th emos important lesson?

As business leaders we et measured by success in the worlds standards. My learnings out of that were put away a long time ago. I saw my dad being on eo fhte most successfull business leaders. He had never gotte the accolades. What I learned about success was it’s very fleeting. It’s based on what did you do last. When I turned down my bosses job because I wantedt o see my daughter and son play in college I learned very rapidly that that’s real success. You set a list of priorities and you live your life based upon those priroities. In my case a relationship with the lord, and then my wife and family, and then your business. By focusing on those priorities in that order everything will go along fine. They’re smart like their mother. They’re married. We’re very excited about that.  And that’s what is important to me.

I was having lunchs today with some groupand I shared with them my definition of sucess and that’s that those who know you the best love and respect you the most. There’s something wrong with us when those who know us the least like us the best. I think that’s the kind of value you pulled out. Another aspect I’d like you to talk about and that’s discipline. it’s som important for us to be disciplined. What lesson have you learned form that.

Discipline is an important part of every person s life. If you’re not disc iplined you won’t be able to stay in shape. I love that the regular workouts are tough but you got to get up and do it you have to get up and study and you have 40 hours a wee your doing sports. You have to have that elvel of discipline. Put that discipline in your life and use it to your fullest advantage. You will fidn that you cabn;t add more hours to dhte day but you will use the hours more effectively .

TWe don’t manage time but time will keep coming wtherhwe like it or not not. I tosunds ot me like you ahve mastered some of the basics. I think we make success really too complicated. I find that people do right htings, simple things on a daily basis and it begins to compound.

I read this book recently that gave me this opporutnity to validate some of those disciplines in life. It’scalled put your dream to the test. Seriously. I recently did read it. I read it because I have a vision not for my business life but my ministry life which I call vision 360. I answered those 30 questions against that ministry and I was able to answer that with yes and I realized tha tmiassion is going to succeed. It’s about success in a different way it’s set out to transform the world through christ and we want to do this in 500 cities all over the world. It’s a very sophisticaed ministry plan with a great business plan and we’re doing it all over the world.

Great Interview! Let’s give al a big hand!

This interview with Tony Blair is really quite amazing. It shows a very personal side of Tony Blair that is hard to capture in pure text. The good news is the video in it’s entirety is going to be on the After The Event Section of GiantImpact.com. Sweet.

Below you’ll find out what Cricket is in 20 seconds, as well as Tony Blairs thoughts on Leadership.

I’ve seen the interview Heenry. The first thing that jumpd out as me. This cat can really dress. he can really dress. Uhmmm… You don’t know the story….

I go to London to interview Tony Blair. This is bigger than Maxwell. All the way to London. I have a meeting the night before. It’s 12:30 1 in the morning. I should get my clothes out. SO I get all prepared. I’m looking… Where’s my suit. I didn’t have my suit. I forgot it. to intervie Tony blair. The Interview is in the morning. What am I going to do. I got to tell you something. I go to the Concierge. The Soho hotel. The Concierges name is Les. I go to Les and I say I got a problem. I have a meeting in the morning and I forgot my suit. What are you doing? I’ve got to interview Tony Blair. Les goes and gets his new conciege uniform. happened to be my size. Gives it to me. And so I should have asked Tony blair where to get dinner reservations. How bout the Interview? Anyhint surpruse you? Alot of people in that position.

Alot of peopl have this swithc. When they’re on and they’ve got pat answers. he was real. When I was asking things there’s a thoughtfulness about him. There’s spontaneous humor. He talked about the real person inside of leadership. People forget it’s hard. You wake up, you’ve had a spat with the wife. You don’t have any energy. You’ve got to go to the bathroom. There’s not this big gap between the persona and the person. You’re doing stuff when you’re not doing this. Making notes. I am going through the day and listening to all this and  I am trying to do kind of the Leadership coach analysis. And pull out some specific constructs. I’m going to make some action items and I’m going to put them on the web.

11:32 Tony Blair Interview

Thakn you. First I’d like to start out by saying we’re honored to have you. It’s my pleasure

I’m going to hop in here and go way back to the beginning. You were bright, educated, ahd a lot of options. Why did you choose public services?’

Until iw as about 30 years old I wasn’t interestedin politics at all. if you’d told me back then I would have been horrified.

Did you have a view of a politician.

Yea, it was boring rather than bad. That was definitely. There was much more fun things to do. I had aspirations to be a rock and roll singer. My friend took me aside after a gig and told me I could be a rock and roll singer except I can’t sing. But once I’d gotten bitten by the political bug I got off and away. You see the house of parliament on TV and there’s a major sort of meeting place. And it’s wonderful. I remember going in there and was in my Mid 20′s. My wife knew Neville. I remember walking into the grand hall that is the meeting place there and thinking this is for me.

What did it capture inside?

it’s a feeling htat it was there, the cockpit of high emotions and raw energy. Political businesss. I felt that is where the decisions that matter are taken. I learned later that it wasn’t where all the decisions that matter were taken. I felt really energized from that first moment.

Leaders grow and change over time. How dould you explain the difference between how you lived int he beginning and then to the end?

Over time I learned, and it’s itneresteing that I learned it. It didn’t come naturally. I learned to have the courage to lead. That didn’t mean tos ay I made the right decisions. I came into Office in 1997. We had been 18 years in Opposition. I ahd looked at it as a business that had failed. IOur basic political party. At that time, they’d come to the view that the problem was the customer. We came to the problem that we kept getting beaten. Then I started asking the question maybe it’s us that needs to change. SO I engaged in this masive program of chane within the labor party. But in a sense it was alwas for getting close to the people and their wishes and aspirations and desires. When I came in to 1997 I wantedto please all the people all the time. I had learned what it was like not to please them. The tink that changed was You can’t please all hte people all the itme. Your duty is to do what you think is right. You may be wrong, which means the Publics got the right to boot you out. You can’t just follow the elements of public opinion. You have to be prepared some times.

Was that a growth curve?

Some people thoguht I was getting too comortable with that. You must never stop listening to people. Listen to the public. I am listening! But ufortunately they’re saing two different things. So I have to decide. I can’t just sit there and say I’m listening. You must listen but you must lead. It was the growth curve.By the end of it I was less popular as a leader, but I was more comfortable with myself.

If you were speaking to leaders about that growth curve, what are the elements that go into making that shift? Is it giving up the need for everyone to be happy?

I think it’s soccer players leadership is the same thing. From the Teacher in the class to the person who runs the commjunity organization to tsomeone who runs a business to the leader of the land. It’s the same thing. what it is is being prepared to take a decision and to assume the responsiblity for that decision, even when you know there are opeiok hwi are bnot going to lik e it. and are going to fight against it. And attack you for it. You’ve got to be prepared to do that. All organizations have to change. They have to adapt. They have to evolve. Here’s the thing that’s most difficult. People don’t like change. If you embark on a process of change, people resist it. While it’s happening it’s absolute hell. If it’s the right change it is. They assume it’s always been like that. People would say it would destory te public service. In the first two years I was too cautios. In my last two years in the terms of public service reform I probably did more in those two years. Even though if you ask public opinion it was easier at the start than the finish.

There are so many directions we could go. One of them that is interesting is that when a leader finds him or herself in that place of making a difficult call. Public opinion is all over th eplace. What is the Alumnus like in that moment? Are there a few you need in your corner with you? Or do you feel like you’re in that spot by yourself?

You need people. I would always want to. I wouldn’t kust go into a huddle on my own. I’d iscuss and debate with close colleagues. The team of the people around you. I’ve been takling about the lader, but it’s the leader of a team. Definitely, in my view. And I was blessed and very lucky bey people around m who are good. But were also completely unafraid to tell me what they thought. and I felt supported at the same time. Some of these decisions in the end, the life and death, the war and peace ones. There’s no way of delegating that sense of responsibilitie that you feel.

A leader that seems to me has to be focusing atention in three different places at once. There’s the vision,t he outset, there’s where you’re headed, but htere’s also a responsibility for the team. To lead them, to form the team. Then there’s the attnetion of staying in touch and what you think and you believe. How do you manage those three things all at once.

There’s the vision, there’s the strategy, and theres the tactics. You need to communicate that to the team. Our vision is to modernize the Healthcare system so even the poorest have quality healthcare. We’re opening up the public sector to more competitive practices. We’re reforming the way the professional works. The more highly you plot that through how do you end up managing to make all those things happen. It’s really important. There’s awlays an alignment. It’s matched by the way that team operates. You have to explain and make sure that the team gets that. People don’t always get what you’re trying to do. you’ve got to explaion that, and you’ve got to motivate. When your team is out there and making tough decisions you have got to back them.

Who are the handful of world leaders you admire the most?

That’s a very difficult question in case you leave someone out. But, I suppose my relations obviously with the successive presidents of the United States. Sometimes people ask me that you got along well with President Clinton and Bush and I would say here’s a startling insight. They’re very differnet. I think more than the personality what you look for in another leader is if they’re going ot tell you they’re going to do something do they do it? And unfortunately it’s quite rare. In fact, both of them, completely in different way, never made me a promise and didn’t deliver on it. Sure there are people like Nelson Mandlea, but the most important hting was….or not…. That dependaiblity issue is trust It’s a huge part of dealing with people in life, never midn this stage of politices. You’d stit around with people and they say they’re going to do something and they don’t do it it’s the last time you’ll rely on them. You have to have an honest discussion about it. I had some very difficult decisions. Not just Afhganistan and Iraq. Like Kosovo. We were asking America to intervine with a conflict in the Balkans. When he had a big difficulty persuading public Opinion. In the end, we came to an agreement that we were going to act and then he did. With Sept 11 the entire wrld picture changed. You have to know that if you came to an agreement you would have to adhere to.

The public sees the photo op what are those conversations like? How informal does it get?

I’d like to always do those meetings informally. The wiorst thing would be when you’re sitting in foront aof a leader and they’d have cards in front of them. And you think “What am I dong here?” So I like to do it informally. it was more difficult when you used interpreters. One of the things that interesting is the importance of the interpreter. For them to interpret nuance and translate it is really quite difficult. Would you choose your own. Yes I would. sometimes. Not because I didn’t trust others. But if you ound an interpreter you felt could interpret. I speak French.Others would speak french so you could do it in French. You have to be careful. I did a mistake early on on doing a live…. Poisitions in the french parliament that you most desire to emulate. And what I meant o say was there are many positions that I desire to emulate. Instead of which I got a the wrong way round it’s a completely different meaning.

And what I actually said was I desire the French Prime Minister in many different poitions.. He blushed, actually. He was standing along side me. The French British Relationship was a bit better for a time.The best thing is to do it informally.

How outside the circle of policy do you get in your conversations?

Find out what motivates them. Those personal realtionships ar eimportant. They really do matter.

Can  you talk more about hte role of the leader to inspire and lead in these economic times?

It’s the toughest thing intellectually as well as politically. It does call for qualities of leadership.  It requires a very pariculat manner of especially it self. I have had to do this from time to time. The first thing is, you got to be honest with people. If you’re going to have to make major changs and lay people off then you’ll have to be honest with people about that. The other thing is to inspire people with the sense that we can come through it. One of the things that is ost important about leadership is to give people an sense of optimism and confidence. It’s not to say you’re stupid about it. some of thos changes will be painful. You can also give people a sense of inspiration This is difficult, but we can come trhoguh and we will make ourselves stronger.

Do you remind yourself to do that strategically?

Sometimes you have to remind yourself to do it. One fo the things that I learned in Downing Street. You get up every morning and you put on your face. The thinga bout Leaders is they’re just like everyone else. You’ve had a lousy sleep. You’re kids messing up at school You dn’t feel that well. but I used to make a conscious decision. You’ve got a flat. And the moment you walk into that building you’re up bat. You’re up for it. You’re going to make the most of the day, even if yio’re feling like hell. Otherwise they get a sense. It’s the last thing you want to see is the minister bursting into tears. You’ve got to be there. And givepeople that inspiration. it’s important even in the tough times. You have to be honest with people. Especially if you’re going to have to halve your business and your employment. Sometimes we fail, and it’s not a time for us to give up It’s a time for us to get up and succeed. I remember I was trying to get into Parliament. I was not getting . I was losing the primaries. I couldn’t get myself nominatd. I tdidn’t look good. I remember my wife said to me, you know you’ve got to pick yourself up and dust yourself down and keep going at it. Sometimes you may be in a situation where the business fails. It’s easy to sy. It’s necessary that that happens. Even the most successful people in the world. It’s one of those things you do. You meet many successfulo people. They all always have thre things that I notice. Whteerh they’re footblallers, rockstars, business leaders, political leaders, they ahve three things.

They have self belief, they work hard. You think they’re a rock star, what do these people do. It’s holidays and all that. actually when you get to know them they work hard. The third thing is to be able to rise from failure. I can’t htink of a simililar person who hasn’t always had those three quliaties.

How do you focus on Growth an deevleop,ent?
You recognize it’s possible to change yourself and to learn. I’m a great one for learning. Not just for things but about hte world and people and myself. It hink I’ve got a lot to learn about how Ic an be better, how I can change. You’ve got to have a sense of that throughout your life. You don’t have to be the same person all the time. We feel that it’s just the way we are. but the way we are can be changed!

I set asid ea time for relfection. Solitude. I ould spend a day just thinking through with just a pad of paer and a pen and I’d be thinking what am I trying to acieve? What is it all about? And one of my things about doing right and wrong reflection is an important part of leadership. I had to be prepared to change. One of the toughest things is it’s not wrooking and stop doing it.

You know when you said you ahve to be all the time on. There is probably a list of luxuries that a leader has to give up. Like being able to let down and have a bad day. What would your list of luxuries be?

You can’ be in a state where you are incapable of making a decision. You can’t have self piy. You can’t lead and moan at the same time. You may feel the wrolds treating you unjuustly. But you have to remember that leadership is voluntary. You have to become the leader. You’re on it because you choise it. Therever you chose it so you don’t complain about it.  Sometimes I pick up newspapers in the morning. You have to get rid of it. Your relaxation is going to be restricted. The amont of time with the family was alot less. People think you don’t operate like a human eing at all. I remebmer going to some function and had drank to much tea and was desperate for a comfort break. and I said “Where’s the toilet.” and the guy said why do you want the toilet?  They assume that you operaet in the same was as everyone else.  You get to the stage. You learn to live with the different kinds of restrictions.

Often leaders will say there were key relationships in their lives. Who would you point to?
The people who got me into politics in the first place. Who were bizarely two australians, an ugandan, and an indian. They were very inflouential in showing me what politics was about and igniting my interest in it. My father was very influential on me. My uncle, actually, funnily enough. He was a very simple guy. he worked on the shop floor. He was one of these people where he had a ery simple world view about good and bad. Well Ithought that’s nonsesne but as I grow older it’s true. They’re important to me. But what you always get from people who are like that is they just show you a different way of looking at the world. Either that or they give you the benefit of your expreince. For me it was often about “Look at the world this way.” It was lik a door opening on a sea I hadn’t visited before.

let’s talk about America for a moment. What advice would you give America as a country?

First of all, America should be proud of America and Americans. I think sometimes Americans eat p on themselves about how the world olooks at them. There are lots of people who see you’re the big power and people are going to beat up you and blame you. I will say its very big test. People are either trying to get into it or out of it. I think more people are trying to get into it than get out of it. Americans are marked in two aways ou can either rise from little to a lot from your own endeavours. Somtimes which interest me in the interfacing. There are some muslim clerics who went and visited America for the first time. The thing that astounded them was that there were muslims who were completely free to worship. The world in which we live in means all countries are insular. It’s possible for America to be too insular in a world that is now opening up. Power shifting to the East. I think that my only advice in that context would be to learn about the world. There is no country . These challenges we meet. No one country is big enough to meet with them on their own. Global aliliances are a necessary part of achieving. You needt o know about your allies.

You talked about hte importanc eof purpose. When you wake up today how would you define a personal purpose or mission statement for Tony blair?

I still have a really powerful sense of mission. i want to make a difference every day. As i get older I have a bigger sense of urgency. When Iwas young I was 22 when my mother died. When you lose someone you’re very very close to you the thought that young never occured to me. tat someone could die. I knew someone could. but you never, felt that emoitionally. And I remember at that time and afterwards suddenly it’s the first time that life is finite. You got to know that it could end. That sense of urgency ahs grown as I got older.

To make a differnce would you say that drive to make a difference is what makes a leader?

Yes. They have that self belief. They ahve thd rive to make it happen. If you don’t have that basic self belief do something esle. The other thing that’s interesting  people lack self belief because they’ve never raelly thought about it and what it means. The thing that is key about this. He can acommunicate wlel, wirtes a good speech. The first speeches I ever gave were how to not make a peech. I was useless at it when I first began. I remember the first speech I ever gave. WHen I was fighting a hopeless election. I knew I couldn’t win but I was determined to fight it. My very first speech went to a hall. There were six there. And one of them fell asleep. I was so depressed. You learn. You keep going. Belief in yourself. People think they can’t do anything in life. Every person has a spark of something specal in them.

I’m a pyschologist and were going to play the free association game. I want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind. Explain Cricket in 20 seconds or less.

No. Eleven people on each team you got to get out the other 11 players you use a bat and a ball, There are two umpires. And no has ever been able to explain cricket.

James bod or Austinm Powers

James Bond.

What secret fact can you tell us about President Bush?

He’s a magnificent Operatic Tenor. I’m Joking.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The Beatles. Really. But I’ve got an inkling for the Stones.

We’re grateful for your time. Our audience has really appreciatd this. Thank you for your service. Not only for the world but from America.

We are so appreciative of the time that Tony Blair took. Very generous with his time. Very gracious with the Interview. And to Henry Cloud as well. That was a magnificent line of Questioning. The most difficult part of the whole job was for the editor to keep it to that length. There’s an additional 30 minutes . There’s more than even what you’ve seen here today.  www.GiantImpact.com/AfterTheEvent