When the chairman of Disney Experiences, Josh D’Amaro, was growing up, basketball was his primary sport and he was good enough at it that in his senior year of high school he was invited to play in the Tri-Valley League All-Stars game in Massachusetts. What might have been an occasion of immense pride for Josh was actually a bit more complicated, as he explained in this week’s podcast.
“I will admit, I felt a little out of place because these were the best of the best,” recalled Josh of the honor. “Many of the other players were headed off to play at the collegiate level, including one at Boston College. I figured someone must have gotten sick and dropped out, so they called me up.”
Humbled but not bowed, Josh went on to play the best game of his whole career in that all star game that he hadn’t thought he belonged in, and at the end of the game, his blue-chip teammates lifted him up and carried him off the court.
However, they lifted more than his body off the court that day, and Josh hasn’t forgotten the elevated feeling of profound accomplishment he got from rising to the occasion.
The lesson? “I think it suggests that you want to push yourself to new places,” offered Josh. “You’re breaking boundaries. And if you approach such moments in the spirit of understanding you’ve got a lot to learn but believing that you have a part to play, like I did in that Tri-Valley League game, you can reach a level that you didn’t even know was there.”
In this episode, Josh shares valuable insights gained from his 26-year tenure at Disney, revealing how he leads a team of 180,000 cast members. Lessons include:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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