This year’s Disney World trip felt a little different for our family. It wasn’t just about the rides or the magic of the parks—it was about growth, leadership, and learning through experience. At just six years old, Lily has already spent about 2.2% of her life at Disney World across five visits (which, when you think about it, is pretty amazing for someone who’s only 6 years old!). But this time, something new stood out—her natural leadership instincts began to shine.

Letting Lily Lead

As we explored the parks, Lily wanted to be the one guiding the way. Her DI personality from the DISC assessment (Dominant and Influential) was in full swing—confident, outgoing, and ready to take charge. For me, a DC personality (Dominant and Conscientious), this was a great opportunity for a real-world lesson in leadership, direction, and problem-solving.

Rather than directing every step, I gave Lily the destination—whether it was Space Mountain or Cinderella’s Castle—and let her lead the group. Sometimes, she found the right path, and other times, she didn’t. But those moments of “wrong turns” weren’t failures—they were opportunities to learn.

The Power of Landmarks and Learning

When Lily led us the wrong way, I didn’t immediately correct her. Instead, I let her explore for a bit before stopping to talk about the landmarks and signs around us. We’d look for familiar spots, like the towering castle or a favorite shop, to guide us back on track. It became a fun game of observation, problem-solving, and course correction.

The lesson? In leadership, knowing your destination is important, but understanding the markers along the way is essential. Whether in a theme park or in life, using past experiences and key indicators to course-correct is how real leaders navigate challenges.

The Balance Between Leading and Guiding

As a DC personality, I naturally prefer structure, order, and efficiency. But this trip reminded me that sometimes, the best way to guide isn’t to command—it’s to empower. By giving Lily the chance to lead (even if it meant a few detours), I was helping her develop confidence, decision-making skills, and the ability to learn from mistakes.

In business, this is the essence of leadership development. We don’t just hand over the map and expect perfection—we guide, coach, and help our team learn how to find their way. Mistakes aren’t roadblocks; they’re part of the process.

Confidence Through Experience

One of my favorite moments was when Lily confidently led us from Adventureland to Main Street, using only the castle as her guide. Seeing her joy and pride in getting it right was a reminder that experience, more than anything, builds confidence. She didn’t need me to tell her the way—she just needed me to let her figure it out.

Conclusion

This Disney trip gave us more than memories—it gave us lessons about leadership, trust, and learning through experience. Watching Lily take charge reminded me that real growth happens when we’re given the chance to lead, make mistakes, and find our own way forward.

And whether you’re at Disney or leading a team in business, the lesson is the same:

• Set the destination.
• Empower others to lead.
• Let mistakes happen.
• Use landmarks to guide.
• Celebrate every success.

Because sometimes, the best way to get where you’re going… is to let someone else lead the way. 💙✨🏰

WRITTEN BY

David Behney, Founder & CEO

David Behney is the Founder and CEO of Behney Management Strategies, where he helps small businesses achieve their big goals through expert C-suite consulting. With a background in fractional CFO services, David now provides strategic guidance across finance, operations, marketing, and technology to businesses with $1M–$30M in revenue. Passionate about driving growth and sustainability, he partners with business leaders to build strong foundations and navigate challenges. Connect with David to take your business to the next level.