Experience Intelligence: The Real Work of Leadership

I just read an HBR article, “Disney’s New CEO and the Importance of Experience Intelligence” by Marcus Buckingham.

Quick read. Worth your time.

The idea is simple: The leaders with the greatest advantage today aren’t the ones who practice command and control. They’re the ones who care about how people feel.

These leaders cultivate environments that help people feel seen, capable, and proud. As Buckingham shows through psychometric data, these feelings drive engagement, loyalty, and results more than pressure or incentives ever will.

As I was taking in the article, I couldn’t help but smile.

Because I learned this lesson 34 years ago when I started my career as an intern at Walt Disney World. 

Most days that summer, I was Davy Crockett. Yes, that’s me in the photo with a paddle in a canoe. And yes, I had hair. And yes, that is a raccoon skin cap.

At the time, it just felt like a great summer. Looking back, it feels today like something much more.

As cast members, we were taught a simple mantra during onboarding:

Exceed every guest’s expectations.

What we practiced every day went deeper than that because we were trained to pay attention to how people feel.

Onstage, our job wasn’t just to operate attractions. It was to create “Star Moments". 

Moments people feel. Moments they remember. Moments that bring them back.

I didn’t have language for it then. Now I do.

For me, an experience is simple: Anything that leaves you feeling something. And the stronger the feeling, the more powerful the experience.

That’s what “experience intelligence” is really about.

And I use it every day, as a culture and leadership consultant, who has built a company that at our core designs human-centered experiences.

Because I believe this:

Leaders aren’t just responsible for what gets done. They’re responsible for how it feels to get it done—and how it feels to engage with what gets done.

Employees. Customers. Consumers. Partners. Communities. It doesn’t matter who the humans are or how they engage with your business. Everyone is having an experience with you, whether you consciously design it or not.

So here’s what I’m encouraging you to think about today:

What does it actually feel like to be led by you or to work with you or to engage with what you create every day? And how intentional are you about monitoring, measuring and designing for the feelings you want others to feel? 

Because in the end, "experience intelligence" isn’t new. (Sorry, Marcus.)

It’s just finally being recognized for what it has always been:

The real work of leadership.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin is passionate about helping people and organizations understand and foster belonging. Drawing on both personal experience and professional expertise, he helps leaders design cultures and experiences where individuals, teams, and communities can thrive and feel they truly belong.