Could that little boy - Robert Allen Iger from the Nassau County hamlet of Oceanside -- could he have ever dreamed that one day he would be running first ABC and then The Walt Disney Company?
[Ads /]
How did it happen? What was it about him that allowed that kind of upward mobility? What did all those executives see in him? Legendary executives like Roone Arledge, Tom Murphy and Michael Eisner?
Oh, and by the way, what's it like to run the biggest entertainment company in the world?
Bob Iger has a new book out, "The Ride of a Lifetime," which might become a kind of case study on how to be a chief executive.
Bob Iger and The Ride of a Lifetime
He examines with honesty and transparency the changing nature of corporate behavior -- from shareholders as the only stakeholders -- to an expanded view of corporate citizenship to include other stakeholders like workers and customers and the community at large.
[Ads /]
Iger embraces that, just as he embraces the concept of making bold decisions that might not pay off in the next quarter or year (Wall Street loves short term gains), but will pay off years later. Disney's acquisitions under Bob's leadership reflect that -- Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilms (Star Wars) and 20th Century Fox.
I first met Bob on January 3, 1993, the debut of the new GMA/Sunday show. I was the co-host, and Bob had just been named President of ABC. He showed up at 7 a.m. that Sunday morning to wish us well.
I have watched his "Ride of a Lifetime" unfold, and have seen his amazing work ethic, and his ability to be able to make those bold decisions but do it without losing his humanity, his empathy, and his kindness.
I think that's all pretty clear in my interview with him. Let me know what you think of it.