Thursday, October 27, 2011

Full Circle . . . and Beyond!

On November 1, John Lasseter will become the 2,453rd star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Here’s a leader that’s come full circle . . . and beyond!

Lasseter started his career as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Disneyland in California. It was shortly after that when he became an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation. He realized that computers could be used to make films with three dimensional backgrounds where traditionally animated characters could interact to add a new, visually stunning depth. So he began the push . . . but pushed a little too hard and was terminated.

Lasseter was then hired on at Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group. Here he worked on their first computer animated short: The Adventures of André and Wally B. His original thought had been to create only the backgrounds on computers, but by the time it was all finished everything was computer animated, including the characters.

Most of what Lasseter had been working on had been considered “experiments” by George Lucas and his interest soon began to fade. Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986, which then became Pixar. Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer. He personally directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2 – some of the biggest animated feature films of all time.

When Disney purchased Pixar in April 2006, Lasseter was named Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was also given the responsibility as Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. He bypasses Disney's studio and theme park executives and reports directly to Disney President and CEO Bob Iger.

Congratulations John Lasseter!!!

Do you have an idea . . . a dream . . . a plan? See it through and make it happen. You never know - it may take you . . . to infinity and beyond!

For the whole Pixar story check out, The Pixar Touch by David A. Price.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Remarkable In Tampa

The leading new supervisor training, based on the book, From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership, is coming to Tampa, FL on November 9-10. Having worked with the writers, Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris, I recommend this workshop for anyone who is looking to increase their leadership skills. Find out more right here - B2B Workshop Tampa.

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the Bud to Boss Workshop:
#10 You are a new supervisor and you want to learn more so you can be successful in your new role.
#9 You train new supervisors in your organization and you'd like new resources and tips to share.
#8 You'd like to be more effective in leading others.
#7 You loved the book From Bud to Boss and you'd like a chance to interact on the topics in the book with an expert trainer.
#6 You haven't read the book yet but you want a chance to interact and learn from an expert trainer.
#5 You're struggling with a particular leadership issue and you'd like to get insights from others.
#4 You happen to have Nov 9-10 wide open on your calendar, and you have plenty of money left in your training budget.
#3 You're in the mood for a road trip.
#2 You've always wanted to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa.
#1 You want to attend a premier training event for new supervisors because you know you will gain knowledge and skills to raise your leadership expertise to a new level.

You'll have a remarkable time. I hope to see you there!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Do You See What I See?

No, I'm not talking Christmas songs . . . yet.

Robert Frost once said, “Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream of things that never were and say why not?” Doesn’t that sound like a leader?

One of your biggest responsibilities as a leader is to see things that others can’t see. Use your visionary capabilities to grow your mission. Think big! Use your imagination. Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission. Why do children come up with such imaginative ideas? They allow themselves to be imaginative – they don’t know any better. But you know that it’s extremely important to do so.

Allow your mind to look at ALL possibilities. One may not be the answer. But grab assorted details from various ideas and you’ve got a viable solution.

Walt Disney said, "I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse”. A mouse! Look at Disney today. Although Walt is gone, the empire still grows.

Have faith that you can accomplish the mission that you’ve chosen, and impart that faith on to your staff – and grow.