Lee Cockerell, the former Executive Vice President of Operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, is our guest on this edition of The Lifehack Show.
For ten years, Lee led a team of 40,000 cast members and was in charge of the operations of 20 resort hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, and the ESPN Sports and Recreation Complex, as well as the ancillary operations that supported the world's number one vacation destination.
Lee's invention of the Disney Great Leader Strategies, which was used to teach and develop the 7,000 leaders of Walt Disney World, was one of his major and lasting accomplishments.
In this episode, Lee discusses his road to becoming who he is today, as well as the lessons he has learned through the years in order to live a complete life, which we value highly at Lifehack.
The whole interview video may be found here:
3 Things That Are Important to a Vibrant (And Magical Life)
Lee's duties grew fast as he got greater tasks when he was about 35 years old. With a wife and a child, everything was building up on him, and he became quite stressed. He was working much too many hours, including weekends, and he was arriving early and remaining late. It harmed his marriage since his wife was upset about it. He also didn't see his son as frequently as he would have liked. It wasn't until he attended a time management lecture that he learned about planning and prioritizing.
#1 Take Care of Yourself
Lee went to the gym every day after work at five o'clock to work out before going home. That was his typical day. He worked hard but did not overwork himself or disregard his health and personal life for the sake of work.
In the interview, Lee emphasized the significance of being fit and healthy. Many people don't feel well and lack the energy and drive to work as a result of poor health care. Getting enough sleep, eating a good diet, and exercising frequently are all essential for staying energized and accomplishing your goals every day.
#2 Take Care of Your Family
Lee devotes a significant amount of time to his family. He takes a vacation, celebrates Christmas, and travels with his family. He prioritizes his energy and time for his family because he understands the importance of family in one's life fulfillment.
#3 Take Care of Your Business
Despite being a highly successful businessman, his business is strangely the last thing on his priority list.
Lee believes that while we can always make more money, we can never make more time. This is precisely what we think at Lifehack. To learn more about this, see my essay The Truth About the Worth of Time in Life, in which I discuss the true worth of time.
Furthermore, Lee had a clear emphasis on what he wanted to focus on while still working at Disney. He concentrated on hiring the appropriate people, training them, and treating them well by fostering a positive culture. Instead of handling everything himself, Lee concentrated on the high-leverage jobs that had the most influence on the firm.
We can't do it all, and we need to learn to say no to some things. Prioritizing and focusing on what is actually important to him is the key to generating magic at work and in life.
Bottom Line
If you have always felt that your work or career defines your success and fulfillment in life, I hope this interview with Lee may cause you to reconsider.
Life is made up of various facets, and work is only one of them. To actually live life to the fullest, identify and prioritize what is important to you. We all have limited time and energy, so don't waste it on things that won't matter later in life.
Check out the YouTube video above to watch the entire interview and learn even more!
