#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir of leadership and success: The executive chairman of Disney, Time’s 2019 businessperson of the year, shares the ideas and values he embraced during his fifteen years as CEO while reinventing one of the world’s most beloved companies and inspiring the people who bring the magic to life. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPRRobert Iger became CEO of … BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger—think global—and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
Today, Disney is the largest, most admired media company in the world, counting Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox among its properties. Its value is nearly five times what it was when Iger took over, and he is recognized as one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our era.
In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger shares the lessons he learned while running Disney and leading its 220,000-plus employees, and he explores the principles that are necessary for true leadership, including:
• Optimism. Even in the face of difficulty, an optimistic leader will find the path toward the best possible outcome and focus on that, rather than give in to pessimism and blaming.
• Courage. Leaders have to be willing to take risks and place big bets. Fear of failure destroys creativity.
• Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can be made on a timely basis. Indecisiveness is both wasteful and destructive to morale.
• Fairness. Treat people decently, with empathy, and be accessible to them.
This book is about the relentless curiosity that has driven Iger for forty-five years, since the day he started as the lowliest studio grunt at ABC. It’s also about thoughtfulness and respect, and a decency-over-dollars approach that has become the bedrock of every project and partnership Iger pursues, from a deep friendship with Steve Jobs in his final years to an abiding love of the Star Wars mythology.
“The ideas in this book strike me as universal” Iger writes. “Not just to the aspiring CEOs of the world, but to anyone wanting to feel less fearful, more confidently themselves, as they navigate their professional and even personal lives.”
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I’m not entirely done with this one yet, but thoroughly enjoying it halfway through, and thought I’d add a recommendation since there’s currently a deal on it. Will update this with a more thorough review once I’m done, but recommend it for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at Disney and insightful musings on leadership.
Wonderful story of a great leader!
As one of the head entertainment media titans in an industry long dominated by the same players, Robert Iger writes in his business memoir The Ride of a Lifetime, the humble beginnings he started out with, all the way to his ascension to being chief executive officer. While the ride for him was tumultuous at times and outlined in this memoir, Iger discusses with brevity the massive deals he secured during his time and how he navigated such complexities that could be applicable for future business leaders. Iger writes in a fashion that reads like an easygoing memoir without being too lost in the details, but also gives off powerful lessons that are applicable to anyone in any field. This book is a highly recommended one for anyone who is in business, earning their business degree, or wants to know what life is like when you’re the CEO of one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. The book itself is a ride worth paying the fee for, if not for the lessons, but for the wonderous story.
An entertaining look at the deal making that made Disney into the undisputed most important content creator in Hollywood. It also includes some important well defined lessons. Only drawback is that you do get the feeling that the storytelling has been sanitized so as to not offend anyone – this is particularly apparent if you’ve read other accounts of the Disney – Eisner – Katzenberg dramas such as James B Stewart’s superb DisneyWar.
This was a fascinating read. Seeing how Iger worked his way up through the Company and how he brought so much change during him time as CEO was very interesting. So much of the change he brought has built Disney back up to what it is today and getting an inside look at how that all came to be was very interesting for this Disney nerd.
A fascinating behind the scenes look into Bob Iger’s career from studio supervisor at ABC to his ascension to CEO of Disney. Iger helped a flailing Disney regain its footing and flourish through Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilms, and 21st Century Fox.
Nurturing creativity is less a skill than an art — especially at a company where the brand alone is synonymous with creativity. That’s a lot to live up to. Bob Iger has not only lived up to ninety-six years of groundbreaking history but has moved the Disney brand far beyond anyone’s expectations, and he has done it with grace and audacity. This book shows you how that’s happened.
People have been waiting years for Bob Iger to share his leadership secrets. Now he has, and they are utterly brilliant. The Ride of a Lifetime is not merely a memoir; it’s a personal, all-access session with the wisest CEO you’ve ever met and a playbook for handling the key challenges of our age: how to drive change, leverage technology, build an enduring culture, and empower people. It’s a rippingly good, revelatory read.