Creative Leadership Lessons

Disney CEO shares the ideas and values that have enabled him to reinvent one of the world's most admired companies and inspire the people who bring the magic to life.

Robert Iger became CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005 during a difficult time for the company. Morale had deteriorated, competition was intense, and technology was changing faster than at any other time in history. His vision for the future was based on three very clear ideas: renewing the commitment to the importance of quality, integrating technology rather than fighting against it, and thinking ambitiously and with a global vision to make Disney a stronger brand in international markets.

Fourteen years later, Disney is the largest and most respected media company in the world, and its properties include Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. With Robert Iger at the helm, recognized as one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our era, the company's value has quintupled.

In The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Iger shares the lessons learned leading Disney and its 200,000 employees and explores the principles necessary for true leadership, which are:

Optimism. Even in the face of difficulties, an optimistic leader will find the path to the best possible outcome and focus on it, rather than giving in to pessimism and blame.

Courage. Leaders must be willing to take risks and make big bets. Fear of failure destroys creativity.

Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how complex they may seem, can be made in a timely manner. Indecisiveness is a waste and undermines morale.

Fairness. People must be treated with decency, empathy, and be accessible to them.

This book shows the inexhaustible curiosity that has driven Iger for forty-five years, from the day he started as a humble apprentice at an ABC studio. And it also deals with consideration and respect, and the primacy of dignity over money that has been fundamental in all projects driven by Iger, from the deep friendship with Steve Jobs in his last years to the enduring love for the mythology of "Star Wars."

Reviews:
"Cultivating creativity is more an art than a skill, especially in a company that is synonymous with creativity. And that's a big challenge. Bob Iger has not only lived up to ninety-six years of revolutionary history, but he has taken the Disney brand far beyond any expectation and has done so with audacity and success. This book tells how he achieved it."
Steven Spielberg

"We have waited years for Bob Iger to share his leadership secrets. He finally has, and they are absolutely brilliant. The Ride of a Lifetime is not just a memoir, as the book offers the opportunity to converse openly with the most insightful CEO, but it is also an essential guide to facing the most relevant challenges of our era: how to drive change, leverage technology, build a lasting culture, and empower people. A fascinating and very revealing read."
Daniel Coyle, author of The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups and The Little Book of Talent