The Ride of a Lifetime - Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

SECOND IN LINE

For some years, the number two spot at Disney was vacant. Additionally, Iger confessed that he remained at the company after Disney purchased ABC due to one of the factors being that one day the opportunity could arise to become the CEO. 

Subsequently, Iger points out that he was asked a lot about the ideal way to nurture ambition, both the ambition that a person has and the ambition of the people that person manages. Consequently, it is best that the leader urges those around him/her to embrace more responsibility, subject to the fact that the job they are eager to have, does not distract them from the job they actually have. Ambition must not lose sight of opportunity. This is because one can become impatient if their dream drives up too much of their concentration to do their job. In such an instance, ambition actually becomes counterproductive. As Iger rightly points out, “It’s important to know how to find the balance—do the job you have well; be patient; look for opportunities to pitch in and expand and grow; and make yourself one of the people, through attitude and energy and focus, that your bosses feel they have to turn to when an opportunity arises.”

Overall, Iger asserts that strong leadership is “about helping others be prepared to possibly step into your shoes—giving them access to your own decision making, identifying the skills they need to develop and helping them improve, and, as I’ve had to do, sometimes being honest with them about why they’re not ready for the next step up.”