The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger
PREFACE: BETWEEN BOOKENDS IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND WB&B’S BEST-REVIEWED BOOKS. THIS WEEK WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING ROBERT IGER’S THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 15 YEARS AS CEO OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY!
Robert adamantly confirms his book is not a memoir because at the time of writing, Bob has announced his new retirement date of December 2021. He notes that although the date surfaces at most unexpected times, he can see it out of the corner of his eye.
The majority of Bob Iger’s success can be accredited to his instinct, throughout his career, to always say yes to every opportunity. In part this is just his garden-variety ambition but it also fits his bigger picture mindset of valuing ability more than experience. Disney has recently passed the torch from one Bob to another Bob. Robert Iger to Robert Chapek. Disney’s CEO succession if anything is easy on those bad with names.
Iger is responsible for the Disney as we know it today, the front-facing Disney+ and its accompanying mountain of IP: Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox (as well as the recently rebranded, 20th Television). Iger details these acquisitions in-depth and they lay evidence of his being one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our era.
We would be remiss if we didn’t start Between Bookends with The Ride of a Lifetime. Bill Gates happily recommends this business book despite not reading many books about how to run a business. In Gates’ experience, it is rare to find one that really captures what it’s like to build and operate an organization or that has actionable tips.
Interlaced in the story of Iger’s career are several anecdotes with colorful characters and deals that almost happened; one such deal had Disney almost buying Twitter. Iger said the deal didn’t feel right to him and therefore, it wouldn’t be right for him and Disney. File this under plotlines for a parallel universe—an alternate timeline where Disney did acquire Twitter. Need the rights to that untold story. The character that will most warm your heart and make you laugh is Steve Jobs. The friendship between Iger and Jobs plays out beautifully in print; including the defeating phone call Steve made to Iger saying Iron Man 2 “sucked.”
TEN LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM ROBERT IGER
Innovate or die. There can be no innovation if you operate out of fear of the new.
The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
Projecting your anxiety onto your team is counterproductive. It’s subtle, but there’s a difference between communicating that you share their stress—that you’re in it with them—and communicating that you need them to deliver in order to alleviate your stress.
True integrity—a sense of knowing who you are and being guided by your own clear sense of right and wrong—is a kind of secret leadership weapon.
The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
Empathy is a prerequisite to the sound management of creativity, and respect is critical.
Don’t start negatively, and don’t start small.
People sometimes shy away from big swings because they build a case against trying something before they even step up to the plate. Long shots aren’t usually as long as they seem. With enough thoughtfulness and commitment, the boldest ideas can be executed.
Ask the questions you need to ask, admit without apology what you don’t understand, and do the work to learn what you need to learn as quickly as you can.
No matter who we become or what we accomplish, we still feel that we’re essentially the kid we were at some simpler time long ago. Somehow that’s the trick of leadership, too, to hold on to that awareness of yourself even as the world tells you how powerful and important you are.