When I think of Walt the word that often comes to mind is "teacher." He took great pride in teaching his animators, filmmakers and Imagineers to reach beyond their grasp. Because he lacked formal education, he believed that the best instruction was found in practical experiences. He taught that every observation, chance encounter, or idea, provided a lifetime opportunity of continuous learning.

To us who knew him when we were children, he was an excellent listener. We realized later, as adults, that Walt was learning from us by listening to our innocent thoughts and unfiltered opinions. He never allowed corporate bureaucracy to interfere with his access to every level within his organization. He was as comfortable talking with a Park sweeper as he was a royal visitor.

His attention to detail and mastery of teambuilding set a standard for hands-on management to which most CEOs only aspire. There are good reasons why so many of his staff stayed so long: 20-30-40 years. And, they remained fiercely loyal, even when they may have disagreed over details.

Walt had a gift for selling his dreams-or, perhaps-teaching his vision, not only to his staff, but eventually the entire world.

His legacy is forever linked with family entertainment. He nurtured it, saw it mature and caused it to become a permanent part of our culture. In all his professional life, as his wife of 41 years, Lillian, once told me, he never gave in to those who told him he couldn’t succeed. He was stubborn in the face of defeat and resolute in his conviction to see thing through, even though the odds weren’t favorable, because he had people he could count on-people he genuinely cared about. He played the role of patriarch, and as such, he felt that he could criticize and encourage as any loving father would. Most of his people responded with growing confidence in their own talents and courage to support the common goals set by their leader. Marty Sklar once put it succinctly: "Walt had some on short leashes and some on long leashes, but when the man said ‘We’re heading north,’ all pointed in the same direction."

Walt liked to say: "Well, my greatest reward I think is…I’ve been able to build this wonderful organization."

We can thank Walt for teaching us to that it’s okay to dream the impossible-and to believe we can work together to turn dreams into reality.