The Disney Dyad

Walt always got in hot water with his dealings with business partners.  He wasn’t really a businessman. In fact, he had left Kansas City, Missouri, with his first business, Laugh-O-Gram, bankrupt.  Walt had headed for California, to start again.

Many individuals and companies came to Hollywood, California in the 1920’s because of cheap land and open opportunities.

His brother, Roy, was in California.  So they formed, Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923.  This time he had his brother to “handle the finances” — but really to help with the finding the money to continue Walt’s latest wildly expensive project.

Walt Disney, an Inventor Rational, and his brother Roy, who was an Inspector Guardian: Walt, as you’d probably guessed, was the creative side; Roy was the business side. Walt ran the show (among other things, he revolutionized the animation business and spearheaded the original Walt Disney Studios). But it was Roy who ensured that Walt had enough money to flex his creative muscle. Roy had a soft spot for his younger brother, he originally had no intention working with his brother.   But, without the contributions of both, the Disney Company would never have succeeded.

With their innovative, entrepreneurial spirit, Inventors are always on the lookout for a better way, always eyeing new projects, new enterprises, new processes.

For their part, Inspectors will see to it that goods are examined and schedules are kept, that resources will be up to standards and delivered when and where they are supposed to be. And they would prefer that everyone be this trustworthy. [Please Understand Me II]

For all his creativity, intelligence, and ingenuity in shaping America’s entertainment tastes, Walt was no businessman. In fact, he hated the business side, and relied heavily on his brother. For one thing, Roy brought sharp business skills into the partnership; for another, Walt trusted Roy (unlike some of his previous business partners). Roy, he knew, “had his back.” There were times when Walt entered business deals that were simply bad. Even then Roy managed Walt’s predicaments as best as he could.  Walt, sometimes desperate from his company being taken over by the unions, government, or business partners, would come up with an innovative product to save the day, but it Roy who “got the money” to finance Walt’s follies, which became enormous hits once they were seen.

And that’s how Roy, a Rock-of-Gibraltar Guardian, and his dreaming perfectionist of a Rational brother, built one of the world’s largest entertainment companies.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), commonly referred to as Disney, is an American multinational media conglomerate headquartered in Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, United States. It is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and travel. Taking on its current name in 1986, The Walt Disney Company expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theatre, radio, publishing, and online media. In addition, it has created new divisions of the company in order to market more mature content than it typically associates with its flagship family-oriented brands.

The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, and today one of the largest and best-known studios in Hollywood. Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, A+E Networks, and ABC Family; publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions; and owns and licenses 14 theme parks around the world. [Wikipedia]

Quote1.pngI believe in being an innovator.Quote2.png — Walt Disney

3 thoughts on “The Disney Dyad”

  1. This is an interesting thought. I’m an eNTj Field Marshal Rational. I find myself utterly frustrated with most people. I tend to understand all aspects of a thing with some level of depth. But more I understand how things are interrelated and where the sweet spot is. When others don’t get it, even after careful explanation, I become quite frustrated with them, especially because it’s an idea I’m excited about.
    I have found that while I cannot work with all rationals, I seem to be able to ONLY work with other rationals because they get it. There are many idealists who do as well but they rarely have the guts to follow through on something, preferring only the abstract idea to decisive action.
    I’m not entirely sure who I’d be best paired with? An iNTp perhaps? What is the right dyad for an eNTj? or do we need triads, quadrads or some other form of multi-ads?

  2. I’m an ENFP married to an ENTJ. Yes, there were some early frustrations in our relationship, but the realization of type (that might possibly have saved our marriage) and the openness of both of us to accept the other’s significant contributions have ultimately led to a thriving 20 year partnership / friendship. We find that our types complement each other to a great degree, if we let them. When they don’t, it’s often because we have approached the situation with one or both of us competing with the other one, rather than working together. Recognizing roles and playing to each others’ strengths, however — while trying to stretch our comfort zones appropriately — has added tremendous value and fun to our lives together. Since discovering type early in our marriage, it has been and continues to be a common topic for rich conversation and observation.

    1. Interesting. So you view it as cooperate, don’t compete. That’s something I’d expect an idealist to say! X’D
      My wife is an iNFj. She’s an incredibly loyal and diligent person and partner. She’s smart both in her humility to take correction and in her ability to stand up for herself when she disagrees with something.
      However, in terms of a career or a campaign, she often finds my approaches dangerously dismissive of other people. I find her approaches dangerously conciliatory. Even though we make a great romantic pair, I doubt we’d work together very well on a project.
      And that’s the issue: what kind of working team should an eNTj form to forge a career or a campaign?
      What would your spouse say to that question?

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