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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Robert Iger
One of the most important qualities of a good leader is optimism,
in ever-changing, disrupted businesses, risk-taking is essential,
Fear of failure destroys creativity.
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.
A deep and abiding curiosity enables the discovery of new people, places, and ideas,
Thoughtfulness is one of the most underrated elements of good leadership.
If you believe that something can be made better, put in the effort to do it.
(I’ve always woken early, for example, as far back as I can remember, and cherished those hours to myself before the rest of the world wakes up.)
Innovate or die, and there’s no innovation if you operate out of fear of the new or untested.
creating an environment in which you refuse to accept mediocrity. You instinctively push back against the urge to say There’s not enough time, or I don’t have the energy, or This requires a difficult conversation I don’t want to have, or any of the many other ways we can convince ourselves that “good enough” is good enough.
Be decent to people. Treat everyone with fairness and empathy.
Excellence and fairness don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
one person’s unwillingness to give a timely response can cause so much unnecessary strain and inefficiency.
You’re also in a position of leadership, though, so you can’t let humility prevent you from leading.
True authority and true leadership come from knowing who you are and not pretending to be anything else.
I could be insecure about that, or I could let my relative blandness—my un-Hollywood-ness—be a kind of mystery that worked to my advantage while I absorbed as much as I could.
“It’s not rocket science, Bob,” he said. “Trust yourself.”
Empathy is a prerequisite to the sound management of creativity, and respect is critical.
Of all the lessons I learned in that first year running prime time, the need to be comfortable with failure was the most profound.
Finding that balance between accepting credit for real achievements and not making too much of the hype from the outside world has only gotten more necessary during my years as CEO.
The way they conveyed their faith in me at every step made all the difference in my success.
trust the people who work for you, and preserving in them an entrepreneurial spirit.
helping Michael run a complicated collection of businesses, which is a big part of the role of a number two,
need a senior executive to act as a sponsor, putting in the time and energy necessary to shepherd each aspect of the deal through every business and every initiative.
Managing your own time and respecting others’ time is one of the most vital things to do as a manager, and he was horrendous at it.
they willfully avoided asking the hard questions because each was somewhat blinded by his own needs.
Am I doing this for sound reasons or am I motivated by something personal?
the best way to nurture ambition—both one’s own and that of the people you manage.
the strain of running the company on his own was taking a toll on Michael. He was growing more isolated and insecure, more distrustful and critical of the people around him.
As is so often the case in life, the thing I’d been striving toward was finally here, and now the hard times were about to begin.
optimism in a leader, especially in challenging times, is so vital.
“What you’re about to embark on is a political campaign,” he said. “You understand that, right?”
you have to convey your priorities clearly and repeatedly.
I’ve always prided myself on my ability and willingness to put in a greater effort than anyone else.
keep blows to the ego, real as they often are, from occupying too big a place in your mind and sapping too much of your energy.
Don’t let your ego get in the way of making the best possible decision.
A little respect goes a long way, and the absence of it is often very costly.
Steve’s idea of small talk was to glance out the window, make a brief comment about the weather, and then immediately start talking about the business at hand,
PEOPLE SOMETIMES SHY AWAY from taking big swings because they assess the odds and build a case against trying something before they even take the first step.
long shots aren’t usually as long as they seem.
Another lesson: Steve was great at weighing all sides of an issue and not allowing negatives to drown out positives, particularly for things he wanted to accomplish.
Steve liked to go on long walks, frequently with friends or colleagues,
Who possessed great IP that could have applications across the full range of our businesses?
He had made a fortune by buying up the debt of distressed companies and then using it to take control of them. And he had a reputation for being penurious to the extreme.
I wanted him to feel that I was there out of respect, so I went to New York expressly to meet with him and showed up by myself, not with a team of Disney executives.
Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayer, and their teams began the exhaustive process of assessing Marvel’s current and potential value, as a stand-alone company and as part of Disney,
You can’t make small talk once you bring someone in for that conversation.
Surround yourself with people who are good in addition
At every step of the way it was necessary to be clear about where I stood, while being sensitive toward how emotional the entire process was for him.
