The Ride of a Lifetime Book Summary

In 'The Ride of a Lifetime', Robert Iger, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, shares his inspiring journey from a small-town boy to the helm of one of the world's most iconic brands. Iger details the bold decisions and visionary strategies that transformed Disney, including the acquisition of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. His candid reflections on leadership, creativity, and the art of storytelling reveal the secrets behind Disney's unprecedented success. As Iger navigates through challenges and triumphs, he invites readers to understand the importance of resilience and innovation in a rapidly changing world. This memoir is not just a recount of corporate achievements; it's a thrilling exploration of dreams realized and the enduring magic of imagination.

By Robert Iger

Published: 2019

""The heart of success lies not in the vision itself, but in our ability to adapt and navigate the unexpected twists along the way.""

Book Review of The Ride of a Lifetime

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir of leadership and success: The executive chairman of Disney, Time’s 2019 businessperson of the year, shares the ideas and values he embraced during his fifteen years as CEO while reinventing one of the world’s most beloved companies and inspiring the people who bring the magic to life. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger—think global—and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets. Today, Disney is the largest, most admired media company in the world, counting Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox among its properties. Its value is nearly five times what it was when Iger took over, and he is recognized as one of the most innovative and successful CEOs of our era. In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger shares the lessons he learned while running Disney and leading its 220,000-plus employees, and he explores the principles that are necessary for true leadership, including: • Optimism. Even in the face of difficulty, an optimistic leader will find the path toward the best possible outcome and focus on that, rather than give in to pessimism and blaming. • Courage. Leaders have to be willing to take risks and place big bets. Fear of failure destroys creativity. • Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can be made on a timely basis. Indecisiveness is both wasteful and destructive to morale. • Fairness. Treat people decently, with empathy, and be accessible to them. This book is about the relentless curiosity that has driven Iger for forty-five years, since the day he started as the lowliest studio grunt at ABC. It’s also about thoughtfulness and respect, and a decency-over-dollars approach that has become the bedrock of every project and partnership Iger pursues, from a deep friendship with Steve Jobs in his final years to an abiding love of the Star Wars mythology. “The ideas in this book strike me as universal” Iger writes. “Not just to the aspiring CEOs of the world, but to anyone wanting to feel less fearful, more confidently themselves, as they navigate their professional and even personal lives.”

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"The heart of success lies not in the vision itself, but in our ability to adapt and navigate the unexpected twists along the way."

The Ride of a Lifetime

By Robert Iger