Last night, I watched the documentary, The Pixar Story, which is exactly what it sounds like: the story of Pixar becoming the powerhouse computer animation film company it is today. You can view the documentary by clicking here.
It’s a fascinating story hearing how they built a team of people sharing a common and seemingly impossible dream when they started: making a full-length, feature-film made entirely with computer animation.
There’s a lot of awesome anecdotes in the film and the documentary’s creators did an excellent job of capturing the emotions of creating these movies many of us know so well: Toy Story, the Incredibles, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo.
I’m a bit of a leadership geek, so I wanted to share leadership lessons I saw in the film that stood out. (Note: some of these are also inspired by the book I just finished reading: Little Bets, which uses Pixar as one of the key companies it draws stories from.)
1) Collaboration and spontaneity matters
This is why cubicles are the enemy of any great company. Those random connections that happen in an open environment vastly outweigh the costs of interrupting others.
2) Openness to criticism and feedback is essential
Without a collaborative environment where feedback is welcomed, you will never be able to move quickly enough.
3) Celebrate real success
Many have talked about the distorted reality of celebrating funding for a startup. It’s important to remember that especially after a major struggle for your team to celebrate key successes and recognize those making extreme efforts.
4) Take bold chances
Recognizing talent within your company and giving them the opportunity to grow beyond their current role can yield great results as demonstrated here. The director of Monsters, inc, was employee #2 at Pixar. He was ready.
5) Push the Limits
The greatest inventions of man have always come from those willing to try to make the impossible possible. It is a worthy exercise to ask your team “what if” and make things happen.
6) Never Settle
When you get comfortable and rest on your laurels, that provides a window of opportunity for your competition. If you continue to push the limits and innovate, you will never be caught.
7) Be your own best customer
Every startup knows the best customer in the early days is full of ideas and constructive criticism. Make your people a great customer of their work.
8) Your competition doesn’t understand your value prop
Know what your company is all about at its core and focus on delivering your best possible product. Don’t worry about competition, because they are likely to look at your success and be unable to understand what the real reasons for your success are.
9) Empower your people to have control of their work
Give your employees the opportunity to surprise you. Give them ownership and the opportunity to see their work to the end. This empowerment will give them new vigor in their work.
10) Overnight successes are far from overnight
No success is overnight. It’s a collection of small victories that eventually add up and one day reach the tipping point of success.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Posted by Jason Evanish 
Ever wonder what makes a leader great? Ever spend time thinking about what the strengths are in your personality or how you might be able to become more like great people around you?
