Kristie DeWaele, CTIE
“Structure should be flexible, but values must be fixed. The ‘where’ of our work will always change, but the ‘how’ we treat people is what creates the magic.”
— Lee Cockerell
In the leadership world, Lee Cockerell is widely recognized for his unwavering commitment to service excellence. His foundational guide work, Creating Magic, established a leadership blueprint grounded in “Management by Walking Around” (MBWA) and the high touch, face-to-face interactions that defined the Disney guest experience. For decades, these principles – Respect, Appreciate and Value Everyone (RAVE) – were manifested in physical spaces such as storefronts, terminals, and office floors.
The post-pandemic landscape has dismantled the physical “floor” on which these models were built. As the travel industry pivots more towards a permanent remote and hybrid work environment, the executive’s greatest challenge is no longer just maintaining service standards but also maintaining cultural cohesion without the benefit of physical proximity. The “magic’ is at risk of disappearing in the vacuum between video calls and asynchronous emails.
This paper argues that while Cockerell’s leadership principles remain the industry’s gold standard, traditional methods for delivering them are no longer adequate in a remote or hybrid travel economy. To address this challenge, this paper proposes that executives adapt classic leadership models through a “Virtual Magic” framework. Specifically, it contends that modernizing RAVE to improve digital visibility and shifting from oversight to outcome-based empowerment can help bridge the isolation gap created by remote work.
Moving beyond theory, this paper details a framework for updating leadership tactics, from refining digital recognition to reimagining mentorship in a virtual world. These strategies are designed to help executives cultivate a culture where accountability and empathy coexist, ensuring that the ‘Magic’ of our service is felt by every team member and traveller, regardless of where they are signed in. The magic has not changed; the way we conjure it must.
The Case for Transformation
The travel industry has long operated on a “physical floor” model. A tangible environment where leadership was visible, culture was overheard in the office and service standards were corrected in real time. In Lee Cockerell’s world, this proximity was the lifeblood of leadership. Today, our industry is undergoing a structural shift in which a digital landscape has replaced the physical office. The problem facing the modern executive is a widening “visibility gap”. When the physical stage is removed, leadership presence often vanishes with it. Without retooling our methods, the high-touch culture that defines our industry risks being replaced by a sterile, transactional environment that leaves both the travellers and industry veterans feeling disconnected. [1]
To bridge this gap, executives must ground their approach in the core tenets of strategic leadership tailored to the sector’s evolving demands. A mission statement reliant on the in-person energy of a bustling office environment no longer aligns with an industry where geographically dispersed teams are the norm. Leaders must now articulate mission and vision statements that reflect the distributed realities of modern travel organizations, with a focus on cultivating a shared sense of belonging among staff worldwide. Although Cockerell’s leadership principles remain foundational to service excellence, travel industry leaders must adapt key competencies – including strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and coaching – to address the complexities of remote collaboration. By leveraging technology to foster transparency, we can maintain world-class service standards across a remote workforce. This ensures our commitment to hospitality is felt in every virtual interaction, no matter the distance.
Modernizing “Management By Walking Around” (MBWA)
“You can’t really know what’s going on in your business by sitting behind a desk looking at computer printouts. You have to get out and see for yourself.”
— Lee Cockerell
In Creating Magic, Lee Cockerell defines Management by Walking Around (MBWA) through the essential practice of “seeing for yourself.” It is a leadership philosophy that the most important information about your business cannot be found on a computer screen or in a filtered report; it is found only in the “field.” By physically moving through an operation, a leader observes the small “hassles” that frustrate guests and catches the problems in real time. Ultimately, it is about moving from a leader who manages by data to one who leads through presence.
The Concept: From the Lobby to the Laptop
While Lee’s definition is rooted in the physical environment of a Disney Park, the modern travel executive must translate this “presence” into a digital landscape. In our current 100% remote reality, the “field” has migrated from the community room to the virtual workstation. To maintain the magic, we must retool MBWA from a sensory experience to an intentional digital immersion strategy.
In the traditional travel landscape, the Director of Sales could walk past the community room to gauge the energy of a Business Development Manager (BDM) presentation or overhear a Coordinator assisting an agency owner with a complex problem. These telling moments provided an opportunity for a leader to keep a real-time pulse on an organization’s health. In a digital environment, however, these interactions are hidden behind remote workstations.[2] Modernizing MBWA requires an executive to “walk” the digital pathways where professional relationships are built.
Success depends on aligning strengths and creating an environment where every leader contributes to collective progress. In a virtual setting, a leader ensures this alignment by overseeing the quality of support delivered to the front line. By shadowing a BDM or Coordinator, the senior executive is not micromanaging; they are evaluating the consistency of the organization’s vision as it is communicated to external partners. This ‘digital walk’ allows the leader to identify where the magic may be lost in translation.
Actionable Strategy: Leadership Digital Shadowing
To make “seeing for yourself” a reality in any supplier, consortium or agency environment, the leader must implement structured shadowing across all pillars of the organization.
- The BDM “Ride-Along”: Traditionally, a Sales Director might join the BDM on a physical agency visit. Now, a leadership team member joins a virtual training session hosted by a BDM for an agency owner. By being a silent observer on the call, the leader can see whether the materials are truly solving the owners’ problems or whether there is “digital friction” in the tool that is hindering the message.
- Coordinator – to – Advisor Shadowing: A Coordinator is often the glue of the travel industry, handling technical bookings and troubleshooting. A leader may “shadow” a Coordinator during a live session with a high-volume travel advisor. They might notice the Coordinator repeatedly answering the same question because the supplier portal is unintuitive. Like Cockerell fixing a park sign, the leader can then advocate for systemic change at the supplier level to reduce the digital friction.
- The “Lobby” of Agency Owners: leadership should host “Virtual Executive Lounges” – unscripted digital spaces where agency owners can drop in to speak with management. This mimics the “hallway encounter” at a conference, allowing the leadership team to hear the unvarnished truth of the marketplace directly from stakeholders.
The Role of the Digital Presence
By implementing these strategies, the leadership team demonstrates transformational leadership. By ensuring the entire support chain is both frictionless and empowered, leaders do more than manage staff; they actively safeguard the guest experience at every level, from BDM to the frontline travel advisor. This creates a “Digital Magic” that is felt by the end traveller, proving that the human touch remains the industry’s greatest asset, regardless of the distance between the screens.
The Digital RAVE: Emotional Intelligence at a Distance
“In the end, it’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”
— Lee Cockerell
Cockerell’s cornerstone principle, RAVE: Respect, Appreciate, and Value Everyone, was traditionally fueled by “burning the free fuel” through physical cues such as a handshake, a smile in the hallway, or a note left on a colleague’s desk. In a remote environment, these touchpoints are gone. To modernize RAVE, a leader must recognize that in a virtual setting, appreciation only counts if it’s deliberately scheduled and documented; otherwise, for many employees, it may as well not have happened.
While Lee’s definition of RAVE was forged in the high-energy, high-touch environment of a physical office, resort or theme park, the modern travel executive must ensure this “human fuel” reaches its remote workforce. In a 100% remote setting, the “lobby” has been replaced by the login screen. To maintain the magic, we must transition from spontaneous appreciation to intentional recognition, ensuring that Respect, Appreciation, and Value are not lost in the digital silence.
In the traditional travel landscape, a leader could “burn the free fuel” simply by being present. You could sense a BDM’s frustration by their posture at the coffee machine or celebrate a Coordinator’s win with a high-five in the conference room. These physical touchpoints provided an immediate, visceral sense of belonging. In a digital environment, however, these cues are invisible. Modernizing RAVE requires an executive to cultivate “Digital Empathy”, the ability to project warmth and value through the very tools that often feel emotionless and transactional.
Success in this new era depends on the leader’s willingness to become a “digital architect” of culture. By purposefully designing moments of recognition, the senior executive ensures that every member of the support chain – from Internal Operations to Member Services – feels as valued in their home office as they once did in the corporate headquarters. This shift allows the leader to prove that the “human touch” is a mindset, not a location.
The Concept: Pressurizing the Pipeline
Appreciation in a physical office is like oxygen; it’s simply there, circulating through the hallways. In a remote environment, appreciation must be “pressurized” for a digital pipeline. Without the benefit of “hallway talk,” a leader’s success relies on their ability to accurately sense and understand others’ feelings through a screen. This requires a specialized form of digital empathy.
The challenge is “reading” a team that you cannot see. When face-to-face non-verbal cues (posture, tone, eye contact) are stripped away, the leader must learn to read Digital Non Verbals (the subtext of a Slack message, the frequency of check-ins, or a sudden withdrawal from group video chats). For example, a high performer or team leader who becomes uncharacteristically brief in their emails may be signalling burnout, or a colleague whose Teams messages go unread may be showing signs of isolation and indifference. A proactive leader uses their emotional intelligence to intervene with empathy rather than assuming a lapse in productivity. [3]
Actionable Strategy: Asynchronous Recognition and Digital Empathy
To ensure the “Magic” of appreciation reaches every corner of a distributed organization – from Member Services to Internal Operations – the modern executive must implement strategies that make recognition both permanent and visible.
- Asynchronous Public Recognition: In a physical office, a traditional pat on the back is witnessed by only those nearby. In a digital environment, appreciation is permanent and scalable. Leaders can create a dedicated “Kudos” hub where employees can publicly celebrate one another. Using video messages or voice notes reintroduce the human touch (tone and facial expression) that is necessary for a team to feel valued.
- Mastering Digital Empathy: Because text lacks tone, it is easily misinterpreted. Leaders must adopt “intentional warmth” by front-loading digital interactions with personal context, such as asking about a weekend or acknowledging a recent celebration, before diving into the task. This shows the leader sees the person behind the profile picture.
The Role of the Digital “Lobby”
In a supplier or consortia setting, the internal support staff often feel the most disconnected. A leader modernizes RAVE by ensuring these “invisible” team members are celebrated. When an agency owner (Member) provides positive feedback on a booking resolution, the leader must ensure that the feedback is looped back to the responsible Operations team. This keeps the “human touch” alive across all departments, proving that service excellence is a team sport, regardless of the geographic distance. [6]
Coaching the Remote Journey: From Rookie to Captain
“Average leaders have a quote. Good leaders have a plan. Great leaders have a system that ensures every person reaches their full potential.”
— Lee Cockerell
Cockerell believed that “training is an investment, not an expense.” He championed a high standard environment where every “cast member” was rigorously prepared for excellence. However, in a 100% remote travel organization, the traditional classroom or side-by-side training model is obsolete. To maintain the magic, the modern leader must move beyond a static training manual and adopt a dynamic coaching model that recognizes an individual’s specific development stage. Without a physical neighbour to support them, the Rookie requires strong direction. Leaders must provide certainty through structured digital touchpoints and screen sharing to navigate complex systems, building the trust and confidence required to succeed.
The Concept: Flexing the Leadership Style
A leader’s effectiveness is determined by their ability to “flex” their approach based on their team’s competence and commitment. In a remote setting, misdiagnosing an employee’s stage can be fatal to the culture: micromanaging a seasoned performer leads to resentment, while under-directing a newcomer leads to isolation and failure.
In a distributed travel environment, we generally see two ends of the spectrum:
The Rookie (High Direction / High Support Employee): In a virtual landscape, the Rookie lacks the “safety net” of a physical neighbour. They cannot lean over a desk to ask a quick question about a GDS entry or a supplier promotion. Without structured certainty, the Rookie quickly feels overwhelmed.
The Captain (Low Direction / Low Support Employee): Conversely, the Captain is a high performing extension of leadership. They are self-motivated and technically proficient. They do not require oversight; they require a “light-touch” approach that emphasizes strategic partnership.
Actionable Strategy: Digital Apprenticeship and Strategic Autonomy
To make this transition successful for BDMs, coordinators, and advisors, the executive must implement specific coaching touchpoints that replace physical presence with digital engagement.
- Narrated Shadowing for the Rookie: To replace “osmosis learning,” the leader should implement structured screen-sharing sessions. During the Rookie’s onboarding, they should “shadow” a Captain as they navigate a complex booking or troubleshoot a commission claim. The Captain must “think out loud,” explaining the logic behind their actions. This builds the trust and confidence necessary for the Rookie to eventually fly solo in a remote environment.
- The Strategic Ownership Project for the Captain: To keep a Captain engaged from a distance, the leader must move from task delegation to ownership delegation. Instead of assigning routine work, task the Captain with a high-level strategic project, such as evaluating a new supplier partner or redesigning the remote workflow for the Coordinator team. By involving them in decision making, you demonstrate the “radical trust” that Cockerell highlights as essential for top-tier talent.
The Role of the Coaching Conversation
In a remote world, structured feedback loops are the only way to uncover the “problemspotting” that Lee insists is vital for excellence. Whether it is a weekly check-in with a Rookie or a monthly strategic session with a Captain, these conversations ensure the employee feels seen, heard, and – most importantly – developed. By tailoring the intensity of the “human touch” to the person’s professional level, the leader ensures that the magic of growth continues, regardless of the miles between screens. [4]
Leading Through Resistance and Change
“If you want to change the culture, you have to change the things that people do every day. It’s not about a new mission statement; it’s about a new way of behaving.”
— Lee Cockerell
In Creating Magic, Lee Cockerell’s principle of “Break the Mold” is a call to challenge the status quo and eliminate “the way we’ve always done it” when it hinders excellence. In the context of 2026, the “mold” is the ingrained belief that high-level travel leadership requires physical office. Many leaders and employees resist the shift to a 100% remote model; not because it is inefficient, but because they are comfortable in the structures of the past.[5] To maintain the magic, a leader must be willing to break these traditional molds and build a more agile, digital-first structure.
The Concept: Addressing the Isolation Gap and Proximity Bias
Resistance to change is a natural response, but in a remote environment, it takes on two specific forms that a leader must address with transparency and empathy:
The Isolation Gap: Remote staff may resist new digital processes because they feel disconnected from the “why” behind the change. Without the “hallway talk” that provides context, a new policy can feel like an arbitrary order rather than a strategic move.
Proximity Bias: This is the fear, among both managers and staff, that those who are “seen” in an office are more valued than those who are remote. This fear creates a “terrible truth” where leaders must realize that their own bias is often the primary source of team resistance.
A Transformational Leader overcomes this by shifting from “reacting to fear” to “leading from development.” By creating a shared vision, the leader helps the team see that remote work isn’t just a location change; it is a tool for greater autonomy, global reach, and improved work-life balance.
Actionable Strategy: Transparency Hubs and Inclusive Decision-Making
To minimize resistance and maximize engagement in a travel consortium or agency, the executive must implement strategies that promote radical inclusion:
- Digital Transparency Hubs: Resistance often stems from a lack of information. By creating a central “Hub” (using tools like Notion, SharePoint, or Slack) where all strategy, goals, and logic are documented and accessible, the leader “breaks the mold” of closed-door executive meetings. This honours Cockerell’s rule to “Eliminate Hassles” by making information easy to find; you remove the frustration that leads to resistance.
- Inclusive Decision-Making (The “Ask” before the “Tell”): Change lasts when employees are involved in the process. When modernizing a remote workflow (such as how BDMs report their virtual agency visits), the leader should solicit feedback before the rollout. When a Coordinator or advisor sees their suggestion implemented in a digital workflow, they stop resisting the change and start championing the “Magic.”
The Role of the Change Leader
At its core, leading through transition to a remote or hybrid workplace requires more than just a logistical shift; it requires a commitment to active leadership. A leader’s role is not simply to “allow” remote work as a convenience, but to purposefully guide the team through the inherent friction of moving from a traditional to a digital workplace.
By adopting the principles of Transformational Leadership, the executive shifts the narrative from managing a technical migration to facilitating a cultural evolution. This means moving beyond the “where” of the work and focusing on the “how” of the connection. When a leader models this change with transparency and intentionality, they ensure the organization’s values remain intact, regardless of the physical distance between team members. [7]
Final Thoughts
The magic is not in the location; it is in the leader’s intentionality. The transition to a remote leadership model is the ultimate test of durability for Lee Cockerell’s principles. While the physical floors of the past provided a natural stage, the digital landscape requires a more intentional architect. To modernize these principles, the travel executive must adopt a growth mindset, recognizing that while our “where” has changed, our “why” remains anchored in human connection.
We must accept that remote work is an expanded canvas for innovation. It is entirely possible to be a successful transformational leader remotely, provided one commits to keeping the human touch alive. This requires a shift in self-development: moving from a manager who monitors activity to a leader who fosters digital empathy, masters virtual coaching and replaces physical presence with radical transparency.
Ultimately, the “magic” has never been found in the bricks and mortar of an office; it is found in the RAVE we extend to our teams. By embracing the tools of the future while guarding core beliefs of excellence, we ensure our industry remains as enchanting as ever.
The magic has not disappeared; it has evolved, waiting for leaders with the courage to conjure it in new ways.
Works Cited
Primary Source
Cockerell, Lee. Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. New York: Doubleday, 2008.
[1] https://www.amrop.com/news-insights/articles/the-impact-of-remote-work-on-leadershipteams/
[2] https://ambitionstravelrecruitment.com/overcoming-the-challenges-of-remote-work-in-thetravel-industry-strategies-for-success/
[3] https://www.teamdigiworks.com/blog/emotional-intelligence-leadership
[4] https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/06/13/building-a-strongerfeedback-culture-in-remote-and-hybrid-workplaces/
[5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/katewieczorek/2025/12/27/how-remote-work-exposedweaknesses-in-corporate-leadership/
[6] https://www.paybump.com/resources/10-essential-strategies-for-managing-remote-teams
[7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377072429_Transformational_Leadership_in_a_Digital_Era
Supplemental Industry References
Course Curriculum:
The Travel Institute. CTIE: Becoming an Excellent Leader. Framingham, MA: The Travel Institute, 2026
