Bob's World

In the summer of 1964, Bob Gault was in between college semesters when he was hired to sweep cigarette butts of floors and sidewalks at SeaWorld of San Diego.

The marine theme and entertainment park had just opened, and Gault was only a few years younger than the founders, a trio of UCLA fraternity brothers. The job was the first of what would become a 42-year career in the entertainment and theme park industry. Most of that time was spent in senior executive positions.

The posts Gault held at some point in his career include: CEO of SeaWorld of California; CEO of SeaWorld of Ohio; CEO of SeaWorld of Florida; corporate vice president of operations for the Anheuser-Busch Entertainment Corp.; president of Universal Studios Hollywood; and executive vice president of Universal Studios Japan.

Gault, 67, retired in 2006, and now lives on Longboat Key. He recently reflected on his career with the Business Review. Here are some highlights, and lessons learned:

Dentist Dreams: Gault was a pre-dental student at San Diego State University until he worked at SeaWorld. But he loved the business side of running a theme park, which was a novelty in the 1960s. “I was prodded by my parents to be a dentist. My parents thought they made a lot of money.”

Good Times: SeaWorld was fun, but it was also hard work. Gault's first promotion was from floor sweeper to ticket usher. It helped that the founders were only a few years older, which fostered camaraderie. “It was just three young guys. They could barely make payroll. It was the right place at the right time. I just worked really hard.”

Young Gun: By the time he was 25, in 1969, Gault was promoted to run an operations department at SeaWorld in San Diego. He earned $225 a month. Then the company asked him to move to Aurora, Ohio, to launch a new SeaWorld. More than one million people came through the gates in the first 100 days it was open, recalls Gault. “It was a real thrill to be a part of the new opening. But it was a lot of responsibility for a young guy.”

Full Circle: Gault was named president of SeaWorld Florida in 1985. “To start out sweeping floors and end up being the president of the company was a real thrill. It was unbelievable.”

Inclusive Insider: When Gault took an executive position with the Anheuser-Busch Entertainment Corp., he reported directly to August Busch III. Busch became a mentor to Gault. “He was a tough guy, but one of the best leaders I ever worked for. He would always poll the executives. He would listen and consider. He would make you feel like you were being heard.”

Management Lessons: Gault also admired the business savvy of George Millay, one of the SeaWorld founders. Millay founded the Wet 'n Wild water park chain after SeaWorld. But Millay, says Gault, could be a yeller who managed through fear and intimidation. Gault recalled Millay throughout his career, and he made a conscious decision to not manage that way.

Macro Manage: Gault realized early in his executive career that his job was to set up an atmosphere where employees can succeed. “I'm a decentralist. I believe in hiring good people and letting them do what's right. Help them be successful but don't control everything they do.”

Follow Me: He also learned the best way to get more out of employees was to motivate through personal connections, not merely salary. “My forte was to get things done through people. That's the key to any good leader. People aren't really motivated by money. It's being appreciated for a job well done. They want to know their bosses recognize them for making an effort. They work hard when they know you are watching. People will follow you off a cliff if they respect you.”

Diplomat Days: One of Gault's crowning career achievements was when he ran the project to open Universal Studios Japan in 1996. He was the contact between the Japanese side and the American side, and played the role of cultural translator, peacemaker and chief problem solver. “My greatest accomplishment was to bring everyone together and work through a lot of issues.”

Rise Up: Gault was named president of Universal Orlando in October 2001 — when the tourism industry was being hammered. “It was the worst possible time from a business standpoint but the best possible time for a challenge.”

Win It: He was later credited with leading an effort that saved Universal Orlando from spiraling downward in the post-9/11 tourism recession. The first step was an internal campaign he called We Will Win. The campaign included employee town halls meetings to generate new ideas. Employees wore pins with a We Will Win slogan. The mantra was “we will survive. We will take market share from Disney.”

Stay Ahead: In the competition with Disney, Gault says he and his team realized Universal could gain an advantage by not having unionized employees. “Disney was unionized and they had a very difficult time with costs. One of my main objectives was to not have a union formed.” So Gault was preemptive. He commissioned salary surveys for every position twice a year, and he constantly upgraded the system of perks, which included handing out movie cards and restaurant gift cards to employees.

Be Humble: Gault has seen good leaders and managers go bad over thinking they could do everything on their own. “The thing that really screws up leaders is letting ego get in the way. You think you know better but that can really screw you up.”

Master Plan: Gault says young executives should take ownership of their career path. “I was like a sponge. I always observed other people, what they did that worked and why. Prepare yourself. Know where you want to be in five years and take the initiative to get there.”