Exceeding expectations rather than simply satisfying them is the cornerstone of the Disney approach to customer service. Now, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the original Be Our Guest, the Disney Institute, which specializes in helping professionals see new possibilities through concepts not found in the typical workplace, is revealing even more of the business behind the magic of quality service.

The secret for creating magic in our careers, our organizations, and our lives is simple: outstanding leadership, the kind that inspires employees, delights customers, and achieves extraordinary business results. No one knows more about this kind of leadership than Lee Cockerell, the man who ran Walt Disney World Resort operations for over a decade.

Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.

Most people think of Walt Disney primarily as a visionary, but he was also a highly skilled marketer. In this unique book, maverick marketer Andrew Lock guides you through 17 success secrets from Walt and explains how your business can apply them to follow Walt Disney’s way. You’ll discover valuable lessons in sales, marketing, and customer service, as well as how to create memorable experiences that will cause customers to return to you, over and over again.

During Lee Cockerell’s career at Disney as the senior operating executive of Walt Disney World Resorts, he led a team of 40,000 cast members (employees) and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, four theme parks, and two water parks. As you can imagine, Lee had to become a time-management expert, first as a means of survival and then as a way to help others make the best use of their time. The time-management secrets he developed have become one of his most requested corporate-training lectures and are now available to you in this tell-all audiobook.

How to Be Like is a "character biography" series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book - by far the most exhaustive in the series - Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this audiobook takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney's life into one straightforward, easy-to-listen-to tale.

In helping Walt Disney create “The Happiest Place on Earth”, Van France and his team started a business revolution in 1955 that eventually became the Disney University - the employee training and development program that powers one of the most famous brands on earth. Disney U examines how Van France's timeless company values and leadership expertise have turned into a training and development dynasty: the Disney U. The book reveals the heart of the Disney culture and describes the company's values and operational philosophies that support the world-famous Disney brand.

Author Dan Cockerell started his Disney journey as a parking attendant. Over the next 26 years and 19 different jobs, he became the vice president of the biggest theme park in the world, The Magic Kingdom Park. During the course of his Disney career, Dan learned many life and leadership lessons, and teaches those learnings within How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? Dan explains how to lead yourself and how to lead your team and organization by using relevant stories and practical examples from his 26-year Disney leadership journey.

In The Wisdom of Walt, Professor Jeffrey Barnes distills Walt Disney's vision, his knowledge, and his methods into a series of actionable lessons. Through historical vignettes about Disneyland, as well as plentiful examples and exercises, Barnes creates a framework through which you can apply Walt's wisdom to improve your career, your company, and your life.

In his sixth business book, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and investor Gary Vaynerchuk explores the 12 essential emotional skills that are integral to his life - and business - success and provides today’s (and tomorrow’s) leaders with critical tools to acquire and develop these traits.

The former EVP of Walt Disney World shares indispensible rules for serving customers with consistency, efficiency, creativity, sincerity, and excellence. Lee Cockerell knows that success in business - any business - depends upon winning and keeping customers. In 39 digestible, bite-sized chapters, Lee shares everything he has learned in his 40-plus-year career in the hospitality industry about creating an environment that keeps customers coming back for more. Here, Lee not only shows why the customer always rules, but also the rules for serving customers so well they'll never want to do business with anyone but you.

Most organizations and individuals work in the context of annual goals and plans; a 12-month execution cycle. Instead, The 12 Week Year avoids the pitfalls and low productivity of annualized thinking. This book redefines your "year" to be 12 weeks long. In 12 weeks, there just isn't enough time to get complacent, and urgency increases and intensifies. The 12 Week Year creates focus and clarity on what matters most and a sense of urgency to do it now. In the end more of the important stuff gets done and the impact on results is profound.

At its heart Lessons from the Mouse presents 10 lessons that guide listeners in applying excellence in their own organizations, careers, and lives. Whether being used as a tool for increased organizational effectiveness or a guide for the college grad or new entrepreneur, Lessons from the Mouse offers timeless, straightforward advice.

Whether you are building a small business from the ground up or managing a multinational company, you can learn the seven key traits for leadership success from one of the greatest business innovators and creative thinkers of the 20th century: Walt Disney. Whether you know him as the first to produce cartoons in Technicolor, the mastermind behind the theme park Disneyland, or the founder of the largest entertainment conglomerate, Walt's story of creativity, perseverance in spite of obstacles, and achieving goals resonates and inspires as much today as it ever has.

In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. Born Standing Up is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away".