The NAU Cockerell Leadership Academy at Northern Arizona University: Lessons from Disney Leadership
This past spring semester, three former Disney executives led a course on Leadership and Ethics for the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) at Northern Arizona University. Named the Cockerell Leadership Academy for Student Scholars (CLASS), it offered a new Leadership Certificate course for NAU students.
According to Executive Director and Professor Fred DeMicco of the School of HRM, “this new Leadership offering was inspired by NAU Professor John Cauvin, a former successful owner of hotels in Arizona, who conceived a General Manager Leadership program called GM LEAD.”
Working with Lee Cockerell (former Executive Vice President Walt Disney World Operations, where Dr. DeMicco worked and obtained his Ducktorate degree from Disney University); Dan Cockerell (former Vice President, Magic Kingdom Park) and Valerie Cockerell (former Disney Institute Instructor), developed an 8-week synchronous and hybrid class during the spring semester. The theme of the course was How’s the Culture in your Kingdom?” presented by the Cockerell Academy.
The Cockerell Academy (Cockerellacademy.com) teachers introduced students to an effective leadership/ethics /management framework to teach students practical, real-life examples of leadership case studies from years of experience from working at Disney. Leading Self, Leading Others, Leading Team, and leading Change were the four foundational pillars of this unique course, according to Dr. Fred DeMicco. In addition, classes provided several points for being a successful leader.
“Getting exposure and experience makes all the difference. So get out of your village!” according to Lee Cockerell can help define you and build key personal and teamwork attributes for a successful career.”
According to Dan Cockerell, “Whatever you do, your guests better love it, your employees better love it, and it better work!” are words to succeed by in the hospitality industry”.
“Great leadership and great service are based on simple concepts, but do not confuse simple with easy!” points out Valerie Cockerell, for your personal and leadership success to the hospitality students.”
Elisabeth Gutt, an NAU HRM exchange student from Vienna, Austria, stated:
“I am so grateful to have received the opportunity to take part in the HRM GM Lead Certificate Program with Lee, Daniel, and Valerie Cockerell. It is incredible to learn from and have conversations with leaders of our industry. This is by far one of the most valuable experiences I made during my studies, and I would recommend every student to participate.”
HRM Student Luyi Liu from China felt the Leadership program gave her many insights into what exceptional Leadership should be like, especially in our Hospitality Industry. “From our presenters' personal stories and those real-life experiences, we can better understand how leadership could work well in our daily life and what kind of things we could do to provide better leadership skills. Participating in this Leadership program is really a great experience to learn and grow, and I am excited to apply what I have learned in this program into my future career. Thank you, Lee, Dan, and Valerie; it was an amazing journey with you, guys!”
According to Dr. Fred DeMicco, “Some of the subjects for the class included Organizational fitness and the Eisenhower Matrix for Dealing with distractions and the “not important/not urgent” tasks. To Assess, delegate, or automate the “not important/urgent” tasks and to Dedicate time for the Important/ Not urgent task “eating your elephants.”
Other real-world learning included prompts such as the following scenario. You are promoted to lead a team of 32 employees and manage a high-end restaurant at a luxury hotel. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the hotel and is a highly popular destination known for the quality of its fine dining and sweeping vistas. Students have to write a memo to their team to communicate their five operating practices and priorities.
Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency, in that order, are quality standards that had to be translated into actionable items and behaviors to permeate the entire organization. The CLASS identified all the touchpoints between guests and the Disney operation and assessed each step according to the quality standards.
Leaders must be confident and humble. Mini-case study vignettes challenged our students to make decisions such as this scenario: You have just been promoted to the General Manager of the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World, leading a team of 250 cast members. Decide how you will spend your first 90 days? What are the things you should not do in the first 90 days? Lay out your operating practices to your team, including vision, values, and your communication style. Define how you like to proceed with delegation/empowerment and problem-solving. Lay out your expectations regarding personal development for your team and what performance indicators you will be accessing. Populate your Eisenhower matrix with Urgent/Important tasks and Important/Not urgent tasks.
Other NAU CLASS tips included spending more time in areas of the business you do not understand and meeting as many hotel employees as possible. Have lunch in the cafeteria to mix and mingle with the frontline. Be a “super listener.” Do not make big decisions about the operation. Do not comment on things you do not understand. Do not focus on processes more than people. Do not rush to impress your team with your knowledge to justify your promotion. Do not just gravitate towards what you know best. Do not lend an ear to just a few people. These are several of the many key teaching points for the NAU CLASS.
"HRM has offered me so many fantastic out-of-the-box learning experiences (from Disney examples), and being a part of the CLASS was no different. Learning from the Cockerell’s was an incredible interactive opportunity. In the weeks that I took the CLASS, I learned so much about things that I can use in my career and things I have already been able to implement in my life." - Delanie Rendon- NAU HRM Ambassador.
Dr. Fred DeMicco is currently working with the Cockerell team to expand the CLASS Certificate program to other students in the NAU W.A. Franke College of Business. In addition, he will explore a Disney-inspired Transformation Guest Services course for the W.A. Franke College of Business students at Northern Arizona University.
About Northern Arizona University – School of Hospitality and Restaurant Management
Northern Arizona University is a higher-research institution providing exceptional educational opportunities in Arizona and beyond. NAU delivers a student-centered experience to its nearly 30,000 students in Flagstaff, statewide and online through rigorous academic programs in a supportive, inclusive, and diverse environment
The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, which resides in The W. A. Franke College of Business, aspires to be the premier hospitality leadership school providing innovative, multiculturally-focused, student-centered learning experiences, both in-person and through distance-learning programs.
The W. A. Franke College of Business provides a diverse, close-knit class experience for students from varied backgrounds, including first-generation, veteran, out-of-state, urban and rural. Businessman and entrepreneur, Bill Franke, provided a transformative $25 million gift because he recognized one of our key values: opportunity is for everyone. The support and business education our students receive directly impacts the well-being of NAU and all of Arizona. At Franke, you will become a force for change no matter where you go.
