Roy
Roy O. Disney was often thought of as “the money man” who kept his younger brother, Walt, in check.
Walt was famous for being a visionary.? Roy, on the other hand, quietly worked behind the scenes to make his little brother’s visions become reality.
Many of the popular stories told about the two brothers involve disagreements over spending decisions.? As an example:?
Walt wanted Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland to sparkle in the sunlight, so he proposed the idea of having the spires clad in real gold.? Roy shot the idea down because of the cost.?
(Walt waited until Roy was out of town before having the spires gilded in gold leaf.)
Roy once said, “I’ve been made the skinflint, but I really wasn’t.? All I’ve been trying to do is help Walt do what he was trying to do.”
What made Roy’s thriftiness work was that his values were aligned with Walt’s.? He didn’t avoid spending merely for the sake of protecting profits.? Instead, he wanted to prioritize spending toward things that furthered Walt’s visions.
For those who pull the levers that drive your business, are their values aligned with yours and the organization as a whole??
Fun Fact:
The picture above was taken right before Roy delivered his dedication speech at Walt Disney World on October 25, 1971.? As he prepared to walk to the podium, he was overheard saying:
“Somebody go find Mickey for me. We don’t have Walt anymore, and Mickey is the nearest thing to Walt that we have left.”
Mickey appeared by his side and Roy began his dedication speech.