#robertiger

Visit us today: https://agile-operator.com/

Robert Iger: The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Value for money

8/10

Year, Price, Pages, Cover design

2019 by Random House; EUR 19,39; 233 pages (247 pages with acknowledgements, index, about the author); Hardcover

Jacket design by Pete Garceau; Jacket photograph by Gavin Bond. Exceptional cover design and cover image. Top-quality paper, the exquisite reading experience.

5 sentences about the book

The book is divided into two parts: Learning and Leading. Learning starts from early beginnings at ABC (1974) till COO role at Disney (2005). Leading captures the period from the first acquisition (Pixar, 2006) until now (2019).

Reading experience could be divided into two parts as well. On one hand, you are following backstage stories of the amazing relationships like that with the mentor Roony Arledge (ABC), Tom Murphy and Dan Burke (Cap cities), Michael Eisner (Disney), Steve Jobs (Pixar), Ike Perlmutter (Marvel) and George Lucas (Lucasfilm). On the other hand, you can witness the evolution of leadership — the importance of optimism (30, 86), the necessity of prioritization and clarity of the message (100), negotiation and fairness, empathy (179) and integrity (John Lasseter and Roseanne Barr stories, 203).

Last chapters conclude Iger’s vision into practice: we witness Disney+ (streaming service) being born. All these acquisitions suddenly make sense and fulfil Iger’s three strategic goals (high-quality content, embracing technology, global impact).

What did I learn?

ABC years with mentor Roony Arledge and owners Tom Murphy and Dan Burke and interesting background stories like Twin Peaks and David Lynch (39)

Disney early years and difficult relationship with Michael Eisner (Disney CEO)

Three strategic priorities of the new Disney CEO (101)

The flipside of Pixar acquisition story that I’ve already learned in Ed Catmull’s book Creativity, Inc (138)

Heartwarming relationship with Steve Jobs (136, 158, 174)

What was missing?

Nothing

Favourite quotes:

“And I tend to approach bad news as a problem that can be worked through and solved, something I have control over rather than something happening to me” (xiii)

“It was a perfect example of the need for optimism. Things were dire, for sure, but I needed to look at the situation not as a catastrophe but as a puzzle we needed to solve and to communicate to our team that we were talented and nimble enough to solve these problems and make something wonderful on the fly.” (30)

“Managing your own time and respecting others’ time is one of the most vital things to do as a manager” (63)

“At its essence, good leadership isn’t about being indispensable; it’s about helping others be prepared to possibly step into your shoes — giving them access to your own decision making, identifying the skills they need to develop and helping them improve, and, as I’ve had tom do, sometimes being honest with them about why they’re not ready for the next step up” (67)

“If leaders don’t articulate their priorities clearly, then the people around them don’t know what their own priorities should be. Time and energy and capital get wasted” (100)

“Don’t let your ego get in the way of making the best possible decision.” (120)

Notes:

(Robert Iger’s principles for true leadership)

Optimism. Even in the face of difficult choices and less than ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism. Simply put, people are not motivated or energized by pessimists.

Courage. Fear of failure destroys creativity.

Focus. Allocating time, energy, and resources to the strategies, problems, and projects that are of the highest importance and value is extremely important, and it’s imperative to communicate your priorities clearly and often.

Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can and should be made in a timely way. Chronic indecision is not only inefficient and counterproductive, but it is deeply corrosive to morale.

Curiosity. A deep and abiding curiosity enables the discovery of new people, places and ideas, as well as an awareness and an understanding of the marketplace and its changing dynamics.

Fairness. Strong leadership embodies the fair and decent treatment of people. Empathy is essential, as is accessibility.

Thoughtfulness. It is the process of gaining knowledge, so an opinion rendered or decision made is more credible and more likely to be correct. It’s simply about taking the time to develop informed opinions.

Authenticity. Be genuine. Be honest. Don’t fake anything. Truth and authenticity breed respect and trust.

The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. This doesn’t mean perfectionism at all cost, but it does mean a refusal to accept mediocrity or make excuses for something being “good enough”.

Robert Iger was the 6th CEO of Disney since its inception in 1923.