Thoughts on "Ride of a Lifetime" by Robert Iger
Note: This is not a critique of the book, just thoughts on some of the key insights.
Bob Iger is the ex-Disney CEO who led the acquisitions of Pixar, Lucas Film, Marvel and part of 21st Century Fox, his book provides lessons on business leadership and human relationships. There's a significant amount of stories and ideas that I won't be touching on, I'll just keep the lens on what I feel relates to our animated series.
The overarching insight I gleaned from the book is mainly focused on human relationships. Regardless of who Bob worked with throughout his career, the common thread seemed to be about being decent to people. Treating everyone with fairness and empathy may seem wishy-washy or even just plain obvious but it's a nice reminder about the importance of your working and personal relationships. I occasionally need this reminder particularly in ego-driven moments related to creativity. It's easy to become personally attached to your ideas and believe that the feedback from others is garbage. Approaching feedback sessions or meetings with fairness and empathy is a highly valuable starting point for any working relationship. This also feeds into the opportunity for creativity in the workplace. If a team of people are afraid of how their respective ideas or concepts might be received, they'll be less likely to create amazing work.
Fear of failure destroys creativity.
Damien and I work together without much fear (we have a unique advantage being brothers) which allows us to explore Unegen's world and support each other creatively. Sure, we are going to encounter failures on the road but those failures will also provide us with important lessons to improve our ability as writers/creators. Being open to the joys of failure means that you can quickly dust yourself off after being knocked over and continue on using that little gem of knowledge gained to avoid being tossed about again.
Innovate or die.
Aside from the separate discussion on the monopolisation of the entertainment industry, Bob recognised where innovative leaders in storytelling and technology were; the people willing to push the boundaries of what is possible. The purchase of Pixar is the best example of this, possibly more so than any other acquisition. Not only did this allow for Disney to acquire the incredible technological capabilities of the company led by Edwin Catmull and the invaluable IP, it also meant Disney had access to some of the most important people in the entertainment industry. Without talented people kiss your goals goodbye.
To tell great stories, you need great talent.
My final thoughts on this relate to our current phase in the development of "Unegen: The Burning Tree". So far, we have worked with incredibly talented people who create jaw-dropping designs and illustrations. As we delve further into the production more and more people will be involved. The success or failure of this project depends on our ability to engage with extremely talented people who are willing to work and explore with Damien and I. Their talents will vary across production departments and companies, and the potential opportunities and relationships that result from creating this story are truly exciting. Bob Iger's stories provide an excellent top-level blueprint for working with people in the creative and entertainment industries.