Title: The ride of a lifetime (Lessons learned from 15 years as CEO of the company Walt Disney Company)

Author: Robert Iger

Being a big fan of many Walt Disney movies, mostly those that I watched during the nineties, I thought it might be interesting to get a glimpse behind the curtains of what it was like for the people providing us with the content of our childhood.

The book is split into two main themes, part 1 “learning” and part 2 “leading“.

The first part of the book summarizes how Robert started off his career in the entertainment industry, his change in roles and tutelage under different figures in his life. And then gradually as he rises in seniority we are lead into the second part of the book, how he became CEO of the company, and how he lead them to the company that they are today.

In every chapter he reveals a challenge he had to face that was present at the point in time, how he was mentored (or used the lessons he had learnt from prior mentors) to overcome challenges, and steer the company into a better direction. His mentors were his colleagues, and, reading through the lessons he learnt, you realize that he had really great mentors, and also the right attitude to overcome any obstacles that came to challenge him. Not only were those challenges from the external environment (with companies and people outside the company) but also internal criticism which many of us would not be comfortable to be put through at all. Yet, he overcame all those, and worked to strengthen the company even further, and compete much better today with many of the other companies out there today.

The leadership lessons that he was taught, and also learnt himself through experience are much better understood with context as written in the different chapters, but are summarized to be the following:

• Optimism – regardless of the challenges and obstacles in your way, it is the leaders’ responsibility to get everyone through the situation, and they must truly be able to see his belief in their success. Once they recognize that their leader doesn’t believe in their success, it quickly spreads to the rest of the company, which drops moral, and reduces the odds of success even further.
• Courage – it is thanks to our ancestors who took risk, that we are today where we are. To take risk requires great amounts of courage since it means one is taking a step into the unknown, which could mean improvement or none.
• Focus – During every stage of the project, we need to always remain focused on the outcome we set out to achieve in the beginning. In between many challenges and distractions will come our way, which may lure us to abandon the project, which is precisely when we need to re-align our energy and time to focus on what we set out to achieve.
• Decisiveness – since miscommunication and misunderstandings in business can be costly, it is vital that in every meeting and discussion all parties clearly understand what is required of them, and of the other.
• Curiosity – the world is changing at a rapid pace, and it is therefore helpful (and in some cases necessary) to not remain stuck with the status quo, but also be aware of trends in the market, world, and environment around you.
• Fairness – one aspect that requires significant attention is this trait. Fair and decent treatment of people around you. It is especially important if you wish to keep the moral of the staff at such a level that everyone works efficiently, and the firms receives their best work.
• Thoughtfulness
• Integrity – Nothing is more important than the quality and integrity of an organization’s people and its product.

As terrific as it sounds to hold the position of CEO, and then also for a terrific company, one needs to realize that it does not come without its sacrifices. As you read the chapters you come to understand that the author had to move a few times between New York City and LA, had to fly for work most of the time, and therefore didn’t spend as much time with family as some people are able to.

The position is not for every one, but what Robert has managed to achieve for the company and for himself, he has done a great service to many people out there, and now shares his lessons of leadership from his book.

Summary:

The story line is well told, the book grabs you from the start of the chapter and tells a tale of what it took for this leader to become the leader who he is today. The book is great for inspiration, not just for CEOs but also junior managers who aspire to grow in ranks in the coming years. The book gets my rating of 4.1/5