The Wisdom of Walt: Leadership Lessons from The Happiest Place on Earth
Jeffrey A. Barnes
Why did Walt Disney build Disneyland? Because Walt Disney wanted one! Can success really be that simple? It can be when you know what you want and you are willing to do what Walt Disney did to build Disneyland.
Disneyland began as Walt Disney’s dream on a park bench one Saturday afternoon. Today, Disneyland and Walt Disney are symbols of success and an example of entrepreneurial leadership around the world. In Jeff Barnes’ The Wisdom of Walt Disney, discover how Walt Disney took action to transform his dream of Disneyland into the concrete reality we still benefit from sixty years later. Disneyland’s story is one every student of success should know. Like a great Disneyland attraction, The Wisdom of Walt Disney takes its readers on a storytelling ride with many twists, turns, drops, and surprise endings. Reading this book will change the way you see and experience Disneyland. Instead of Disneyland being a place of escape, Disneyland and Walt Disney will become for you a model of success. Learn how Walt Disney and Disneyland can challenge you to live your dream, inspire you to take action, and teach you how to create your own magic so that every day for you is as fun as a day at Disneyland.
Jeffrey A. Barnes is an author, professional keynote speaker, higher education administrator, university professor, and leadership/success coach. He has over thirty-five years of professional speaking experience and nearly twenty years experience leading teams in higher education and teaching over twenty different college courses in both the traditional classroom and on-line—including The History of Disneyland at California Baptist University in Riverside, California.
He attributes his passion for Disneyland to his love of history, story, and success. He believes the Park teaches us some of life’s greatest lessons—as long as you know its history, know what to look for, and you are willing to connect it all to your own story.
Jeff lives in Riverside with his lovely wife, Niki, and their two boys, Logan and Wesley. Their daughter, Bethany, lives in Las Vegas where she works as an investigative journalist at the Las Vegas Review Journal. When he is not teaching or writing, Jeff enjoys spending as much time as possible in “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
