The 'Josh Effect': Why Connection Trumps Tenure in 2026 Leadership
We’ve all seen the "Boardroom Titan": the leader who stays behind mahogany doors, emerging only to deliver mandates or review spreadsheets. For decades, we were told that this was what leadership looked like. It was about tenure. It was about having the most technical knowledge in the room. It was about a fear-based, command-only authority that demanded respect rather than earning it.
But the world changed while those leaders were busy checking their stock options.
In February 2026, Variety featured a deep dive into the rise of Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro. The article, titled "Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro: Star Wars, Marvel, and the AI Frontier," reveals something I’ve been shouting from the rooftops here in Omaha for years: Connection is the new currency of leadership.
The "Josh Effect" isn't a magic trick. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach the human beings we lead. It’s about moving away from the "ivory tower" and getting into the trenches: the front lines where the real work happens. If you’re a high-capacity business leader or an HR professional like Sarah Thompson, trying to navigate the complexities of a 2026 workforce, you need to understand why connection now trumps tenure every single day of the week.
The Power of Presence: Slipping Under the Ropes
There’s a story in the Variety feature that perfectly encapsulates this shift. During Disneyland’s 70th-anniversary celebration, Josh D’Amaro didn't just stand on a pedestal and wave. As the crowds swelled and the energy hit a fever pitch, Josh did something that terrified his security detail but electrified his team: he slipped under the ropes.
He didn't go to the VIP section. He went to the back of the crowd to talk to the cast members: the people emptying the trash cans, selling the popcorn, and loading the rides. He wanted to know how they were doing. He wanted to hear their experience of the day.
This isn't just good PR; it's a masterclass in the CARE framework: Connect, Achieve, Respect, Empower. Josh understands that you cannot empower a team you aren't connected to. In the old world of leadership, the CEO was the destination. In the "Josh Effect" world, the CEO is the bridge.
When you prioritize the "frontline" over the "boardroom," you aren't just being nice. You are building what we call Sustainable Capacity. You are creating a culture where people feel seen, which is the baseline for high-performance teamwork.
The CatalyX PSE™ of the 'Josh Effect'
At Mark Mathia Coaching & Consulting, we look at leadership through the lens of the CatalyX PSE™ system: Psychology, Strategy, and Energy. Josh D’Amaro’s rise to the top of the world’s most iconic entertainment brand is a perfect case study of these three domains in action.
1. The Psychology of Radical Transparency
One of the most striking revelations in the Variety article was Josh’s approach during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During Zoom calls with thousands of employees, he didn't put on a brave face of "corporate stoicism." Instead, he wrote words like "Fear" or "Pain" on his name tag.
This is radical transparency. In the language of The Inner Game of Tennis, this is about minimizing "self-interference." When a leader acknowledges the elephant in the room: the fear, the uncertainty, the pain: they give their team permission to do the same. This builds a psychological safety net that allows for true resilience. You aren't wasting energy pretending everything is fine; you're using that energy to solve the problem.
2. The Strategy of Surrounding Yourself with Genius
Traditional leaders often feel the need to be the smartest person in the room. They view experts as threats to their authority. Josh takes the opposite approach. He surrounds himself with powerhouses like Dana Walden. He doesn't need to be the technical expert on every AI frontier or Marvel storyline.
His strategy is built on partnership. He knows that his job isn't to have all the answers; it's to ask the right questions and ensure the right people are in the right seats. This aligns perfectly with John C. Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: specifically the Law of the Inner Circle. A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to them.
3. The Energy of the 'Experience'
Josh is obsessed with the "Experience." We’re talking about the color of the trash cans in the parks and the exact taste of the popcorn. To some, this might look like micromanagement. To us, it’s an Energy Ritual.
Attention to detail is how you communicate value. When you care about the small things, you signal to your team and your customers that they matter. This is "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" in a corporate setting. It’s taking the time to be present with the details that define the culture. It’s about creating a "flow" state for the customer, which starts with the "flow" state of the employee.
Why CliftonStrengths is the Backbone of Connection
You might wonder why CliftonStrengths continues to rise to the top of leadership development tools in 2026. It’s because CliftonStrengths is built on the foundation of connection and partnership, not just authority.
The Variety report mentions Josh’s "affability": a trait that some old-school critics might have once called a weakness. But in the modern economy, affability is a superpower. When you lead through your strengths: and you encourage your team to do the same: you move from a "deficit-based" culture (fixing what's wrong) to a "strengths-based" culture (leveraging what's right).
Josh doesn't lead by fear because fear is a low-energy, high-interference emotion. He leads through partnership. This is the epitome of the strengths-based movement pioneered by Marcus Buckingham. It’s about identifying the unique "red threads" in your work and your team’s work and weaving them together to create something unstoppable.
Triple Margin Freedom: Connection = Results
Let’s talk about the bottom line, because I know the "Driven Omaha Decision Maker" needs to see the ROI. We talk a lot about Triple Margin Freedom: Profit, Time, and Teamwork.
Some might hear about the "Josh Effect" and think it sounds like "soft" leadership. But look at the numbers cited in Variety: Josh’s division (Experiences) was responsible for 71% of Disney’s operating income before he took the CEO spot.
Connection is not a "soft skill." It is a high-yield financial strategy.
When your team is connected, turnover drops. When your team is in a partnership rather than a hierarchy, innovation accelerates. When you lead with experience and empathy, customer loyalty sky-rockets. Real profit: the kind that is sustainable and scalable: comes from this level of human connection.
Are You Leading with Tenure or Connection?
As we move further into 2026, the gap between the "Tenure-Based" leader and the "Connection-Based" leader will only widen. The command-and-control model is a wrecking ball to culture in a world that craves authenticity.
If you find yourself relying on your title to get things done, you're in danger. If you’re leaning on "how we’ve always done it" (Tenure) or "because I said so" (Fear), you are leaking energy and losing talent to the leaders who are willing to slip under the ropes.
Here are three quick-win steps to start applying the 'Josh Effect' today:
The "Under the Ropes" Audit: When was the last time you sat with your frontline employees without an agenda? Go to the back of the room. Listen more than you speak.
Radical Transparency Check-In: In your next team meeting, acknowledge a challenge or a personal "interference" you’re facing. Watch how it changes the room’s energy and opens the door for your team to be honest about their own hurdles.
Partnership Mapping: Look at your top three goals. Are you trying to "authority" your way to them, or have you built the necessary partnerships (internal or external) to achieve them through collective strength?
Leadership in 2026 is about the human experience. It’s about being "Be Elevated" in your approach: rising above the noise of technical jargon and fear-based tactics to find the genuine connection that drives results.
If you’re ready to stop leading from the boardroom and start leading from the heart of your organization, let’s talk. Whether it’s through Executive Coaching or a Strengths Team Session, we can help you find your own "Josh Effect."
Are you seeing the power of connection in your own firm? Drop a comment below or book a discovery call. I’d love to hear how you’re slipping under the ropes this week.
Source Attribution: Cite the Variety article: 'Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro: Star Wars, Marvel, and the AI Frontier' (February 2026).
