A Whole New World? Disney’s Brave Stance Shows Businesses How to Stand Up for Their Values

Just about all organizations have a mission statement based on their core values. What’s less common is for companies to have a granular understanding of what those core values look like in practice, what they sound like within internal and external communication and what feelings they generate in the workplace climate as well as the broader community.

Some companies claim values like responsibility, joy, equity, excellence, quality, care and inclusion. The question is: What does responsibility mean for your company? What does joy look like in action? How does equity guide decision-making processes? What does inclusion look like for client or customer interactions? 

Clarity is key. Without it, employees are left to interpret what their guiding principles and habits should be. But when there’s clarity — whether a team loves the substance of the values or not — everyone knows how to march in the same direction to the same beat.

As a company, it is clear that Disney has not only defined its core values, but as a whole, the organization has illustrated what those core values mean, what they look like, what they sound like and how they should feel. 

For example, one of Disney’s core values is belonging: “Disney is committed to celebrating an inclusive, respectful world. We create authentic and unforgettable stories, characters, experiences, and products that capture the imagination of our global audiences.”

This is a shortened version of what this core value looks like in action for Disney, but here are a few takeaways:

• The company believes in the power of diverse perspectives, identities and lived experiences.
• The company believes that modeling respect and appreciation for diverse identities is critical.
• The company seeks to honor, acknowledge and celebrate different or diverse cultures, heritages, lived experiences and identities.
• There is a through-line between both its products and services that the elevation of diverse experiences will be centered.

That’s why I wasn’t surprised at all to see Disney’s latest decision and stance in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion. Quite simply, the company’s ongoing battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, including Disney criticizing an anti-gay state law and DeSantis attempting to strip Disney of a special tax status, showcases both the clarity of Disney’s values as well as the company’s deep commitment to live out who they say they are and what they say they believe in. 

When an organization does this, it can be incredibly beneficial in attracting customers and clients, as well as propelling the organization’s bottom lines in revenue, impact and scale. An example would be a company’s ability to attract a broader base of customers and clients of color upon ensuring their core values of equity are not only clearly spelled out embedded within the organization. 

No individual wants to work in a hostile environment, especially if it is racist, discriminatory and clearly not welcoming to people who look like them. Therefore, distilling how a company or organization’s core values are operationalized within its work matters deeply.

That’s not to say that transforming an organization that has yet to truly embed its values in all practices is an easy job. Indeed, the move to get more clear and specific in value-based behaviors and utilizing them as a decision-making tool can also cost an organization. Those costs can be financial or people-oriented in terms of staff turnover, or other shifts within the DNA of the organization’s past identity. 

For example, an organization deepening clarity on a core value of accountability may encounter pushback from staff who feel the new measures aren’t what they signed up for and that the demanded level of accountability brings more pressure on their work performance. As a result, the company may lose a few staff out of misalignment to where the company is now going. 

Disney’s strong stance on DEI principles regarding gender and orientation could (and perhaps already has) created losses — and it’s certainly created tension in some corners. That doesn’t mean a company should not enact stances of this nature, but it is to say that a proper cost/benefit analysis is always key. 

In this case, Disney is not only doing the right thing, but leaders are modeling alignment to their core values, which is critical. Doing what you feel is right and just is not always an easy route, but in Disney’s case, the company should continue to grow and thrive as a successful brand, even if there are bumps in the road of ensuring they are always a socially conscious and responsible organization. 

By forging a clear path forward, Disney is setting a powerful example for other companies and brands that two things can be true at the same time: You can operate successfully as a business, and you can stand for what you believe is ethical. In fact, the ability to operate in integrity to your stated values ensures that your work is in no way performative but is rather the epitome of what makes your company and brand stand out.