Zillion Dollar Thinkers

A wake up call

From the book: Zillion Dollar Thinking the four leadership examples that were sighted were Gates [opportunity], Edison [commitment], Disney [solution], Churchill [action].

Let’s look closer at Walt Disney: Birth; December 5, 1901 – Death; December 15, 1966. To name a few of his achievements:

First animated film with synchronized sound
First animated film in full-color three-strip Technicolor
First feature length animated film
Multi-plane camera, invented for use on The Old Mill, 1937
First stereophonic sound system for film
First theme park (Disneyland, 1955)
Winner of twenty-six Academy Awards
Inaugural recipient of star on the Anaheim Walk of Stars
Two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Congressional Medal of Honor
Presidential Medal of Freedom

“What is remarkable about this special thinker is that making decisions

back then vs. today had a zillion obstacles and little technology.”

We reviewed an archived article comparing 1903 to today.
Consider these surprising facts:

-In 1903 the average life expectancy in the US was forty-seven (47) years
-Only 14 percent of the homes in the US had a bathtub
-Only 8% of our homes had a telephone [and a three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars]
-Only 8000 cars were on the road and the maximum limit of 10 mph
-Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee each had a greater population than California
-No Mother's Day or Father's Day
-One in ten US adults could not read or write
-Only 6% of all Americans graduated from high school
-No air conditioners

Ah, those were the times…and in addition:

No internet
No digital
No cells
No satellites
No PCs
No wireless

But now, we demand and receive instant answers in a digital world.

Point is, compared to what our predecessors had to work with, we really have little excuse for not having better and wiser decisions-plans-directions-results today. It could be that what is happening in our government-economy-environment-freedoms…is a blessing in disguise.

It could be a wake up call…a call to action.

In Disney’s era, the environment for making important decisions was much more difficult and challenging, but look at the achievements.

Today, with all our high tech advantages, we have the opportunity to act with revelation, motivation, innovation and creation at the speed of thought. Our challenge is not to repeat history, but to make history.