Page 125 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

106 The Disney Way

the modern enterprise and have contributed greatly to the transformation
of the modern corporation.” Admittedly, successful partnering does not come
easily to most of us. As Broadway composer Charles Strouse’s lyrics proclaim,
applause is what “we’re living for,” and top billing makes that applause ever
so sweet. But when it comes to getting things accomplished in the busi-
ness world, the savvy competitor will recognize the value of drawing on the
expertise and resources of others. In fact, the wise man or woman already
knows that it is a fortuitous combination of talents that most often produces
the applause-winning achievement. The key is turning that knowledge into
practical action.
The solution lies in examining the methods of companies that are top-
flight competitors at home and abroad. The Walt Disney Company is a rich
sourcebook of partnering expertise that is ours for the taking.

Partnerships Expand the Possibilities

Walt Disney certainly had his share of individual success, becoming a cultur-
al icon around the world because of his many achievements. But even though
he was blessed with creative genius, surefire entertainment instincts, and an
astute commercial sense, Walt recognized early on that strong alliances were
necessary to achieve what one could not achieve alone.
Were it not for his first partnership with his brother Roy, for example,
Walt Disney might have remained an obscure animator and cartoonist.
When the Disney Brothers Studio opened in 1923, Roy invested his entire
savings of $200 in the venture, and it was Roy who took over the finances—
such as they were—in those early days. This family partnership had its rocky
moments, to be sure—one breach lasted years. But in the final analysis, the
two brothers accomplished much more in partnership than either could have
done alone. Without Roy’s assistance, Mickey, Donald, Pluto, and the host
of other beloved Disney characters might well have remained nothing more
than figments of Walt’s imagination.
Walt knew, too, that not only must an alliance work for both partners,
but also each partner must work at forming and maintaining a successful
affiliation. A partnership is, after all, an investment in the future, and just
like any other investment, it must be carefully considered and skillfully man-
aged to produce the optimum return. What’s more, you must know who
your partner is and be sure he or she shares your values.
The latter lesson is one that Walt learned all too painfully in one of his
first deals made outside the family orbit, a disastrous partnership with the