Bill Capodagli

Bill Capodagli: Books & Videos

One of their great discoveries was a 1930s memo written by Walt Disney himself, revealing the secrets of how to build a creative and successful company. Inspired by Walt's words, Ed and John have put a stake in the ground by saying: "this is the kind of company we want to build." The Pixar organization honors the legacy of Walt Disney by fulfilling the promise of bringing the "story" to life . . . refusing to take shortcuts (in comparison to the crippling short-term mentality that has become a cancer in American business culture today), and never compromising the integrity and quality of its work. It's all about living their "story" every day, continuously moving forward and championing excellence at all levels.

Walt Disney's Dream, Believe, Dare, Do success credo has inspired the creative culture at Pixar, and is the key to their success. In The Pixar Way, Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson introduce the formula for unleashing a Pixar-type creative genius in any organization:

1. Dream . . . Begin with a Story: Ed Catmull said: "Our directors have to be masters at knowing how to tell a Story that will translate into the medium of film. This means that they must have a unifying vision--one that will give coherence to thousands of ideas that go into a movie--andthey must be able to turn that vision into clear directives that the staff can implement."

2. Believe . . . Populate your organization with creative people who embrace a set of unifying core values: Ed Catmull explains Pixar's philosophy: "You get great creative people, you bet big on them, you give them enormous leeway and support, and you provide them with an environment in which they can get honest feedback from everyone."

3. Dare . . . Challenge the status quo in your organization; mediocrity is not an option. Michael B. Johnson, head of the Moving Pictures Group at Pixar said: "We're not afraid to take chances, and we know we'll fail along the way, but we do a good job of making each failure part of the process and use it to get to something that we're happy with."

4. Do . . . Pay meticulous attention to detail to ensure a level of quality that employees take pride in, and that leads them to deliver great service. John Lasseter remarked, "Quality is the best business plan."

The Pixar Way will help readers discover their own roadmaps for unleashing a creative organization.

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The Disney Way
"I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true." -Walt Disney. Walt Disney's dreams, beliefs, and daring gave birth to captivating characters, thrilling theme park attractions, and breathtaking tales that have inspired the imaginations of generations of children and adults. Disney also launched an entertainment and marketing empire whose influence is felt around the world, and whose success provides a model of business excellence that can guide any company. Each principle is then examined in detail by illustrating the principle at work at Disney as well as at other successful companies.

Capodagli and Jackson have spent their careers studying Disney and teaching this unique management method to others. As consultants to companies ranging from Illinois Power to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Whirlpool, they have used the Disney principles again and again, and have seen them yield startling performance improvements. They have distilled this wisdom in THE DISNEY WAY. In this book, you'll learn how to: Give every member of your organization the chance to dream, and tap into the creativity those dreams embody; Treat your customers like guests; Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and partners; Dare to take calculated risks in order to bring innovative ideas to fruition; Align long-term vision with short-term execution. And more. No fairy dust. No magic wands. No wishing on a star. Just sound, effective management principles that stem from Walt Disney's values, vision, and philosophy. Lists of questions to ask and actions to take, along with real-life examples, will help you adapt the Disney Way to suit your company's needs. From the hiring and training of employees to the realization of a creative concept to exceptional customer service, every aspect of the Walt Disney Company is linked to Walt Disney's vision.

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The Disney Way Fieldbook
How to Implement Walt Disney's Vision of "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do" in Your Own Company

Business people around the world raved about The Disney Way and Fortune proclaimed it, "so useful you may whistle while you work." Now, authors Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson are back to deliver a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan based on Walt Disney's principles outlined in the best-selling The Disney Way.

The Disney Way Fieldbook provides action plans for instilling Disney's vision into any company, complete with diagnostic exercises, practice sessions, proven advice, and insightful questionnaires. Packed with universally applicable tools and techniques, the book also features inspiring quotes from Walt Disney himself and little known facts about his extraordinary empire.

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Leading at the Speed of Change
Using New Economy Rules to Transform Old Economy Companies

Today's business climate demands that companies move quickly, adapt rapidly, and innovate like never before...all without losing sight of their core businesses. And one of the biggest challenges facing traditional companies like AT&T is the e-Commerce and Internet Revolution. AT&T is ready for battle. AT&T's goal is to offer one-stop-shopping for the world's communication needs. To do this, AT&T is striving to be on the forefront when it comes to cutting-edge management that fosters innovation, action, and growth. AT&T's largest division, Business Services, is headed by Rick Rocsitt, who Business Week has named a "rising star." The success of Business Services is crucial to the overall strategy of AT&T. CEO Michael Armstrong is relying on Rocsitt and his team to do for Business Services what he did for AT&T Solutions (providing outsourcing, consulting, networking integration and multimedia call center services). That is, they want Rocsitt to infuse the division with entrepreneurial spirit, to bring that "adrenaline rush" of the DotCom world back into this global giant.

A close look at what Rick did at the AT&T Solutions Division offers lessons for managers and executives on how to manage at "DotCom Speed" and defeat the competition. The success of so many companies depends on it. Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson are the authors of The Disney Way, named by Fortune as one of the year's "Best Business Books." Their forte is analyzing the management style of comparies, and identifying exactly what makes the companies tick - what makes them succeed (or what is causing them to underperform). They have been fascinated by the success of AT&T Solutions, and have discovered that Rick Rocsitt's accomplishments can be clearly explained through the paradigm they coined, Dream, Believe, Dare, Do. In this book, they take a close look at AT&T Solutions - and interview key players at AT&T including CEO Michael Armstrong - to explain exactly how AT&T Solutions grew at such a phenomenal rate (in less than 5 years AT&T Solutions grew from a dream in the mind of Rick Roscitt to a five billion dollar corporation). The goal is to present a blueprint that managers and executives in any company can use to implement a winning strategy that produces amazing results.

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