Power and politics in the fall and rise of John Lasseter

Power and Politics in the Fall and Rise of John Lasseter

The story of John Lasseter is a highly interesting one. As a young boy, he was fascinated by Walt Disney's creations and worked his entire life towards becoming a driving force in the company. He was nevertheless fired from the organization as his style was too innovative. After being employed as the creative genius at Pixar, Lasseter also became the driving force behind Disney's animation studio.

Upon his initial employment with the Walt Disney Company, John Lasseter had militated for the introduction of computer based animations, but his ideas were poorly perceived by his managers. As a result of his strong commitment, he pursued his idea and came to pitch it in a demonstration to his superiors. In this effort, Lasseter had also created some enemies. The presentation was nevertheless doomed and he ended up being fired immediately after it.

Throughout the entire case, it is obvious that interpersonal power was used by various management structures. The most eloquent example is represented by Lasseter's presentation, which was given no chance, as the executives -- influenced by the managers -- had already decided to throw the idea out. During the presentation, Lasseter was asked of the costs of computer animated films, which was comparable to the cost of traditionally making the movies. The response was brisk, stating that executives were only interested if computer animation would create cost or time efficiencies. This exchange of replies indicates the power of the executives and its use in interpersonal relationships.

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Upon completion of the presentation, John Lasseter received a phone call from his direct manager -- whom he had crossed in the past -- and was informed that his employment within Disney had been terminated. This decision, as well as the events that led up to it, can easily be catalogued as unethical behavior. Lasseter was not given a real opportunity to present his idea, which was shut down regardless of its value -- and time has proven its high value.

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Then, aside from unethical behavior, the firing of John Lasseter also indicates the existence of political behavior within the company. As Lasseter had observed upon his employment with the firm, management at Disney had been based on loyalty to the firm and seniority, rather than actual performances, competence or innovative style. As he put it:

"You put in your time for 20 years and do what you're told, and then you can be in charge" (case).

The decision to fire Lasseter was not related to his competence in his job, but to his frictions with his managers. The situation eventually materialized in the manager's decision to have him fired, and the decision was a political one -- supported by executives -- rather than a justified one.

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Today, John Lasseter is the creative force behind the films of both Pixar and Disney and finds himself in a position in which he has to exert leadership actions. His leadership style is nevertheless different from the structured and political one at the old Disney Company. Lasseter seeks to motivate, inspire and empower his employees, so that innovation is created. He strives to avoid office politics, and prefers to focus on people and creativity.