I just read a very interesting article in the New York Times about how the brain trust at Disney is considering an image makeover for Mickey Mouse. They are completely re-thinking his personality, what his house looks like and even how he interacts with children. “The first glimmer of this will be the introduction next year of a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland. “

My initial reaction was – HOW STUPID IS THAT? (I think Michael Eisner wants to die just so he can turn over in his grave at the thought!)

My second reaction was – This failure will be fun to watch and I hope to be around for the full ride (pun intended) because it’s going to be long and painful. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I live in the Orlando area and am most certainly NOT a Disney fan. Speaking from experience, I find them to be corporate bullies in that they have the typical “I’m bigger than you so it’s my way or the highway” mentality when dealing with smaller companies. 

And where I’ve always found them to be arrogant, this is beyond belief…and funny. Has any of their leadership learned nothing from business the past 50 years? Did they ever, as the article says, hear of New Coke? This bone headed move is akin to Harley coming out with a lavender scooter. Just doesn’t fit.

But it’s not surprising when you look at what makes up the leadership of major corporations these days. They tend to hire people with initials after their names like MBA who swoop in and multiply like rabbits eventually taking over. The main problem I have with MBAs is that they equate everything to numbers and cunningly use them to blind their leaders.

Leadership can no longer see the company for what it is. Instead it only sees what it’s supposedly worth…according to their formula that is. And the worst case scenario is when the leader is a card carrying member of their cult. They begin chasing short term gains at the expense of everything – people, resources, partnerships and eventually in the most desperate of moves, their souls. If you want to see how devastating these MBA types can be you need only look at what they did to our banking system.

I can’t wait to see Minnie in leather…

Dwain – The BusinessBiker

As always – these are my thoughts on the matter, I could be wrong.  So, if you disagree or simply want to pile on, please do so either here on the BLOG or email me directly at Navigator@BikersGuidetoBusiness.Com  I look forward to hearing from you. http://www.bikersguidetobusiness.com/

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