The New York Times Business Section on Sunday featured an interview with Robert Iger, CEO of Disney.
These are the main points that I was able to take away.
1. He stressed the role optimism plays in effective leadership. I would second this. The best leaders I have worked around, with, and for have kept an even keel, but lean to the optimistic side. The worst leaders I have seen have been paranoid masters of panic. Confidence (and lack of) is contagious.
2. His first boss at ABC told him he "wasn't promotable." Oops.
3. As is the case with successful leaders, Iger practices VISIBILITY. He says he meets in the cafeteria with staff, and that he actually schedules time to meet and talk with staff. Over and over, this visibility and accessibility is a trait of successful leaders. They know and are known.
4. When asked about hiring, he shares a quote by Warren Buffett that I think is just tremendous: “When you hire someone, you look for brains, energy and integrity, and if they don’t have the third, integrity, you better watch out, because the first two will kill you.”
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