Who is responsible for this "Mickey Mouse operation"? That's what people used to ask whenever something was amateurish, substandard, or wacky nonsense. The saying came about because the first Mickey Mouse cartoons were filled with ridiculous situations and solutions. The old Hollywood types viewed anything Walt and Roy Disney did that way. In 1923, Disney had two employees, no revenue, no value, no respect, and no popular brands. Times have certainly changed. The company now has more than 170,000 employees, makes billions in revenue, is highly respected, and features wildly popular brands. Among the things that leaders got right is their people-focused approach to management.