Robin Williams 21/07/1951 – 11/8/2014

Naked Leader Week 1184 – Monday 20 July 2026

Time to Read: 42 Seconds

One of the funniest, brilliant and spontaneous actors ever, Robin Williams changed Disney animation forever.

Before he was cast as the Genie in Aladdin, Disney’s process was rigid: storyboards, script and animation were developed first, and actors’ voices were fitted in afterwards.

Williams blew that model apart. His wild improvisations, rapid-fire ad‑libs and constant character switches forced animators and writers to adapt to him instead. The Genie was drawn to follow his energy, not the other way around.

That performance opened the door for celebrity-driven, personality-based voice roles and gave Disney a new, looser, more contemporary style that reshaped animated films for decades.

What Robin taught us as organisations: Please end the long-held, boring and failed approach of wrapping your people around your organisation. If you truly want to thrive in this era of uncertainty, wrap your organisation around your people – the only way to unleash all their powers, passions and GENIEus.

With my love and best wishes to you

David

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