When Joel Manby took over as CEO of SeaWorld, the company was smack in the middle of national controversy following the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish. One of SeaWorld’s most vocal critics was Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, an organization seeking to close SeaWorld in California. “I was trained not to like him,” Joel shared. “I was told I shouldn’t trust him or like him. It was ‘us versus them.’ I’m naturally against that philosophy.”
Apparently, Pacelle felt the same way. The two leaders decided to meet secretly in the “smokey corners of pubs,” to discover whether their two organizations might find enough common ground to do some problem-solving.
“We couldn’t even meet in each other’s offices because our organizations would go crazy if they saw us reaching out to each other,” Joel said. Good thing the two leaders trusted their instinct for collaboration more than the party line. They ultimately discovered in one another a likable, admirable, and trustworthy opposite. By breaking out of their institutional identities, the two forged a partnership that ultimately resulted in a win-win for both organizations. In exchange for SeaWorld’s ceasing its killer whale breeding program, the Humane Society would support SeaWorld publicly as a “good organization.”
As a result of their partnership, SeaWorld’s favorability rating rose from 35 percent to 70 percent positive in roughly a six-month period. Sales started coming back and trust in the family entertainment venue began to return as well. At a time when our civic and business cultures are polarized by intolerance and endless “monologues” and feedback loops, Joel offers a valuable lesson in the power and efficacy of dialogue. “What we are dealing with in America is way too complex to solve with sound bytes,” said Joel. “To get answers, we need dialogue, not more monologue.”
We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a great dialogue about winning business cultures and learning from those we may least expect to teach us something.
You will learn:
- 4:00 How to create a culture of love (HR Director approved!).
- 5:00 The difference between DO goals and BE goals — and why the latter matters.
- 10:30 How guarding Magic Johnson taught Joel how to focus on his strengths.
- 22:00 What it means to be a servant leader.
- 25:00 Dolly Parton’s lesson in getting honest feedback.
- 27:30 How his “Undercover Boss” episode changed his leadership philosophy forever.
- 31:00 The importance of open dialogue.
Resources:
- Connect with Joel on LinkedIn.
- Get your copy of Joel’s book Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders.
- 2016 Morning show clip with Joel Manby and Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society that Joel referenced.
- Book Joel to speak!
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