Popular Culture Review Vol. 10, No. 2, August 1999 | Page 91

Disney and Leadership

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dant self-confidence, wins the awe and admiration of all the toys, leaving Woody
in second place. Woody explains to the toys, in Buzz’s presence, that Buzz is not
what he appears to be: he cannot fly, his spaceship is only a cardboard box, the
laser light is merely a tiny bulb operated by a battery, and he is nothing more than
a “toy.” The others, however, see him as he has been advertised, a savior to a
threatened universe, a warrior of “infinity and beyond.”
Woody’s chagrin at being so easily replaced is supplanted by his desire
to dispose of Buzz Lightyear. Woody’s desires are realized when Buzz falls from
the bedroom window. The other toys do not believe the incident is an accident
and consequently withdraw any remaining support. In their minds, if Woody
cannot act ethically, he is unworthy of leadership status.
Realizing that the other toys would never again acknowledge him as their
leader. Woody attempts to make amends by launching a campaign to retrieve and
rescue Buzz from the child next door who has found him. A major adventure
ensues, but critical leadership issues arise when Woody and Buzz are forced to
work together. After several thwarted attempts to escape. Buzz begins to lose his
confidence. Although Woody tries to encourage him. Buzz gives up and acknowl
edges that he cannot fly, his radio communication links him with no one, and he is
only a toy. Through a series of events. Buzz and Woody are returned to Andy, but
the main leadership messages are contained in the aforementioned struggles.
It would appear that Woody originally assumed a leadership role among
the toys only because they saw that Woody was their owner’s favorite. Although
it makes sense that “Cowboy Sheriff’ Woody would preside rather than, for ex
ample, Mr. Potatohead or Bo-Peep, Andy owned other authority figure toys, toy
soldiers, that could have assumed a leadership position had they been favored by
their owner. In reality. Woody had no special attributes other than the confidence
instilled in him by knowing that he was Andy’s “chosen one.” Woody assumed
the role of the legitimate leader because he had been appointed to that position by
his owner. When Buzz Lightyear arrived, however, the toys saw a being of confi
dence, power, and charisma. Buzz had abilities the toys admired and they re
spected the fact that he lived in a world much larger than they. Buzz traveled the
universe; their world was Andy’s bedroom. Thus, their allegiance shifted from a
leader with legitimate power to one with referent power.
A second leadership issue arises when the toys renounce Woody as their
leader when they believe he has knocked Buzz from the bedroom window. This
withdrawal of support is explained by the theoretical position that “the personal
qualities of a would-be leader determine his or her esteem in the eyes of potential
followers” (Bass 12). Leaders, regardless of their appointments or rights to the
position, will not remain leaders in the eyes of their followers if they violate the
values of the followers. Many talented leaders throughout history have fallen