DeSantis vs Disney: six reasons why leaders cannot get out of their own way
Image courtesy of Mateusz Waclawek on Unsplash
Situations often define leaders. In fact, I would go as far as to say that if you want to evaluate a leader’s philosophy, understand their personality, and test their capability, put them in different situations and you will discover all you need to know.
I do not know Governor Ron DeSantis personally, nor have I ever stepped foot on a Disney property. To that extent, I have no dog in this fight. Nonetheless, the ongoing back and forth between the two protagonists has provided both fascinating case study material and a teachable moment for leaders, who can sometimes be their own worst enemies.
In this situation, by turning an opportunity to assert his authority into a reason to question his judgement, Governor DeSantis has somehow managed to manipulate a drama, worthy of a Punch and Judy show, into something of a mini crisis. In doing so, he has drawn derision and mockery from his political opponents and now a lawsuit from Disney. Why has he done this, you may ask? Well, here is my take on six reasons why some leaders just cannot get out of their own way.
1. The oxygen rich air of infallibility
When you win re-lection as resoundingly as Governor DeSantis did in 2022 (by a margin of 20 percentage points) you can be forgiven for basking in the glory of that success. Over the years DeSantis has intentionally cultivated a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense man of action and the margin of his re-election appears to show that most Floridians buy into his brand. The danger of course is that those who exist in an oxygen rich ecosystem face two huge risks. Firstly, by breathing too much oxygen, they can become intoxicated and even delirious. The second risk is that, when there is too much oxygen, you only need a tiny spark for everything to go up in flames.
2. The ‘don’t mess with me’ mindset
There are times when leaders go out of their way to ‘make an example’ of a situation. Doing so serves as a warning to others, who might be tempted to step out of line. This appears to be the intention of Governor DeSantis in his spat with Disney. As one of the biggest employers in Florida, DeSantis is making the point that even Mickey Mouse himself is not too big to be taken down a peg. Surely, once this matter has been taken care of, no-one else is going to mess with the Governor. Right? The problem with that logic is that whenever a leader tries to lead through fear, they lead in weakness,
3. Winners’ blindness
From what I can gather, Governor DeSantis got his way when he appointed his own board to administer Disney’s self-governing district. Yet he appears to want to go further and has threatened to impose tolls and taxes on hotels and roads in or around the theme park, in a move that seems that to be an act of retribution. In leadership, discretion is always better than grandstanding. When leaders grandstand, they inevitably over-react and attract scrutiny. I cannot help but wonder whether the carefully cultivated strong man image, favoured by DeSantis, is now giving way to that of a petty, small-minded, and thin-skinned individual. Not a good look.
4. The no matter what mentality
One of the first casualties of hard-headedness is logic. When logic goes, the ability to make good and right decisions follows soon after. Once both of those restraints are removed, they are replaced by extremes of thought and behaviour. It may be that DeSantis prevails in the forthcoming court battle with Disney. However, if he does, it will be a pyrrhic victory. There are those amongst, even his own supporters that are beginning to question exactly what the end goal is with Disney. Sadly, when hard-headedness sets in, the emperor is often the last person to realise that they have no clothes.
5. Victors always need people to vanquish
I happen to believe that a leader should never flinch from conflict. Especially when standing by their principles and deeply held values. In such times, they need to be resilient, uncompromising, and courageous. However, that is different from a leader who licks their chops and salivates at the very thought of engaging in conflict. Leaders who maraud in search of combat, for its own sake, do so to feed their ego and nourish their vanity. When victors go looking for others to vanquish, what they find may be more than they expect.
6. When you have gone too far to turn back
Those who lead with bravado, do not like to lose face. So, it is with Governor DeSantis. The various attempts, by Disney, to outwit and embarrass the Governor have not only irritated him, but even worse, may be perceived by him as a questioning of his ‘leadership manhood.’ The conflict is now deeply personal and there can be no retreat, no show of weakness and no surrender. The fact that DeSantis recently suggested (no matter how tongue-in-cheek) that a penitentiary might be built adjacent to Disneyworld, tells you just how toxic things have become.
For Governor Ron DeSantis, I strongly sense that his dispute with Disney is no longer about Disney per se. It is not even about a bid for the US Presidency (should he choose to run). This entire brouhaha is about him. There are times when the overriding need and want to be right is so compelling and all consuming, that leaders become disconnected from the failsafe of their own common sense and reasoning.
There is a salutary lesson here, which is that leaders do not need to prove that they are strong, the need to show that they are wise. To the extent that there is a global leadership crisis, it is not for the lack of strong leaders, it is for the want of wise ones. The winners of the DeSantis versus Disney contest will not be DeSantis or Disney. It will be people like you and me, who as leaders, will better understand why we should not get in our own way.
