Question
Robert Iger planned to take Disney in a new direction by focusing on the future rather than dwelling on the past. He believed in investing in building things that people need, a lesson he learned from Tom Murphy and Dan Burke. He also understood the importance of relationships at the top, which was a lesson learned from the clashes between former CEO Michael Eisner and company President Michael Ovitz.
This question was asked on:
Tom Murphy and Dan Burke, who bought ABC in 1985, taught Robert Iger that true integrity – being guided by your clear sense of right and wrong – can be a secret weapon in a competitive business. In Iger's words: "The way you do anything is the way you do everything." Iger still has a note that Dan Burke handed him early in his career: "Avoid getting into the business of manufacturing trombone oil...the world only consumes a few quarts of trombone oil a year!" In other words, only invest in building things that people need. When Disney's board was considering Iger to be the new CEO, they questioned how he could be trusted when he'd been Michael Eisner's number two throughout several poor business decisions. Iger refused to rehash the past and determined to focus on the future: "You want to know where I'm going to take this company, not where it's been. Here's my plan." Relationships at the top matter. Former CEO Michael Eisner and company President Michael Ovitz constantly clashed. This...
Receive new free presentations every Monday to your inbox.
Full content, complete versions — No credit card required.
