Bob Iger's advice on mastering business leadership
Spoiler Alert: Bob Iger’s Masterclass does not include Baby Yoda. If anyone knows who the artist is for this image, please let me know.
Let's see if this will get your attention. Guess how much Disney's annual net income increased under Bob Iger's leadership? 400%, yes, you read that right. That's pretty much unheard of in most businesses. So clearly, Bob Iger deserves a chair on the Masterclass platform. At first, when I signed up for Masterclass, I wasn't sure if I'd want to dive into a class about business leadership as I was leaving a leadership position and needed some downtime to recoup from the wild ride. The resistance I was experiencing got me thinking, why wait? The more I explore my curiosity and check out others' leadership styles, the more I will expand in my personal development. Plus, the class preview sold me. Mr. Iger's quiet but confident disposition was different than most leaders I've experienced, so I was sold. What I didn't intend for was the impact it would make on the areas of my life. I'll explain more on that later but let's quickly dive into why this Masterclass would make Mickey Mouse proud.
Utilizing your time effectively
Bob shares his daily routine.
Non-negotiable: his commitment to family time
He hires + supports his team and also has lunch with them.
The importance of focus, strategy, and keeping to 3 priorities
No brainer, but most leaders forget this: keep to 3 priorities. You can't do it all. We tend to lean into doing it all with today's demands, even when we say we won't—bad habits like those cost time, money, and employees. If you suffer from that habit, it's time to kick it.
Let it go + big picture thinking.
Introduced more diversity to Disney. The movie Black Panther is one of the significant wins for Disney and society in general.
He helped to pull back from the old school princess concept. Thank you, Mr. Iger! It should be interesting to see how this generation lets go of the "waiting for my prince to come" BS. Another point for the movie Frozen!
Taking Disney into digital media with Disney+. Their quarantine stronghold with the parks and cruise lines being affected by COVID-19.
Yes, case studiesHe dives in deep to the mega-mergers of the last 10 years for those that want the nitty-gritty. It's definitely worth geeking out over:
Pixar and his relationship with Steve Jobs. So good.
Marvel: Brought in a whole different vibe and audience. Great for business and for the rest of us.
Fox: Iger started at the very bottom of Fox in his career and worked all the way up. Now that's a long climb up the ladder. He discusses how important that was to make him the man he is today.
Don't forget to jump off cliffs...not the physical kind, of course!
Bob Iger goes into depth about some of the jumps he made. Proving growth can occur when we jump off cliffs to make things happen.
Last but not least...
Keep your brand's integrity. There are moments throughout the classes where Iger explains how important it was to him and Disney to keep the integrity of the brand alive and robust.
So how did this impact me in other areas of my life? It reminded me that leadership lives in all of us. It lives in me, and I want to be sure I practice it daily. Which means being of service, doing the hard work for your goals, showing up, sometimes patience, the courage to do what is right, and love for your fellow sentient being. Thanks Mr. Iger!