Lesson #4: Take Control

Article Overview: “I don't like formal gardens,” said Disney. “I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess." Despite his apparent disregard for structure, Disney was a hands-on entrepreneur, who enjoyed taking control over all aspects of his company. While it was in part personality-driven, Disney’s hands-on nature was also due to a lesson he learned the hard way early on in his career.

Lesson #4: Take Control

“I don't like formal gardens,” said Disney. “I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess." Despite his apparent disregard for structure, Disney was a hands-on entrepreneur, who enjoyed taking control over all aspects of his company. While it was in part personality-driven, Disney’s hands-on nature was also due to a lesson he learned the hard way early on in his career.

In 1927, Disney’s studio produced its first cartoon featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Trolley Troubles. Oswald was an instant hit and became Disney’s first successful animated animal character – even before Mickey Mouse had entered the scene. Disney’s perfectionist nature and his desire to constantly be improving led him to exceed the budget allotted to him by Universal Studios within the first year.

Disney decided to pay a personal visit to his distributor to discuss an increase in his budget. He was not only turned down but Universal executive Charles Mintz actually told Disney to take a 20% cut in his budget or else Universal would give the series to another studio. It wasn’t until that point that Disney realized that Universal was the legal owner of the Oswald cartoons and that he didn’t have the rights to his own creation.

That would be a turning point for Disney, who from then on out vowed to retain the rights to all of his designs and take control of his projects. Disney gave up the Oswald series but came back on the scene a year later with a mouse named Mickey, the design of which Disney ensured he legally owned.

In the early days of the Disney Studios, as it was beginning to grow, Disney himself was involved in all aspects of the animation – creating the jokes and storylines, drawing the characters. As their operations expanded, Disney had to relinquish control over some aspects of his company. But, as part of being a good manager, Disney understood the need to still remain involved and have control over what was being produced in his name.

When asked once about his management style, Disney recalled a story of a young boy who asked him if he still had a hand in drawing the Mickey Mouse character. “I had to admit I do not draw anymore,” Disney replied. “‘Well, then you think up all the jokes and ideas,’ he said. ‘No,’ I said, ‘I don’t do that anymore either.’ Finally, he looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Disney, just what do you do?’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘sometimes I think of myself as a little bee. I go from one area of the studio to another, and gather pollen, and sort of stimulate everybody.’ I guess that’s the job I do.”

Taking control for Disney meant having creative control over his work but also having the wherewithal to recognize when he needed to step back. He understood the importance of the team behind him. “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world,” he said. “But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

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Article Tags: animated animal, apparent disregard, being a good manager, charles mintz, disney studios, entrepreneur, formal gardens, instinct, jokes, mickey mouse, oswald the lucky rabbit, personal visit, personality, storylines, trolley, turning point, universal executive, universal studios, wild nature, wilderness



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