Employees at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts around the world are known as Cast Members, and each person who works at one of Disney’s attractions wears a nametag. It was Walt Disney’s custom to go by first names in his company so everyone at every level would feel as equal parts of the team. Naturally, then, Cast Member name-tags are only embossed with first names.
Thus, Disney Legend Jack Lindquist’s nametag read “JACK” in nice, big, clear letters for much of his 38-year Disney career. Walt, though, always called Lindquist by a different name: “Bob.”
One day, Walt was in a meeting with a bunch of the Disney executives—including Lindquist, as he was Disneyland’s chief marketer. Once again, Walt referred to Jack as “Bob,” and someone had the guts to offer a correction.
“Walt just raised his eyebrow and said, ‘He looks like a “Bob” to me,’ and we went on with the meeting,” Lindquist recalls, his mouth grinning wide with laughter. “Walt could call me anything—it worked. I didn’t mind.”
[…]
