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The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Robert Iger (Author, Narrator), Jim Frangione (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)

4.8 23,025 ratings

in Film Direction & Production

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Number-one New York Times best seller

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 15 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.

Fourteen years later, 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 audiobook is about the relentless curiosity that has driven Iger for 45 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."

Listening Length

8 hours and 45 minutes
Author

Robert Iger
Narrator

Jim Frangione, see all
Audible release date

September 23, 2019
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Audio
ASIN

B07QW2LHN4
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 45 minutes
Author	Robert Iger
Narrator	Robert Iger, Jim Frangione
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	September 23, 2019
Publisher	Random House Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B07QW2LHN4
Best Sellers Rank	#3,628 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1 in Film Direction & Production #1 in Movie Direction & Production #2 in Movie Director Biographies

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

23,025 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the business advice insightful, honest, and humanitarian. They also describe the book as fascinating, simple, and fast-paced. Readers praise the characters as wonderful and amazing. They appreciate the autobiography as told from the heart with honesty. They mention the content as story-like and giving insight to the Disney Corporation.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Readability Business advice Pacing Autobiography Content Characters Character traits Character integrity

539 customers mention "Readability"530 positive9 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, with great lessons and anecdotes. They also say it's well-written and thoughtful, allowing readers to connect and relate. Customers also say the story makes it all easy and compelling reading.

"...There are lots of great stories about success and failures, good leadership and bad...." Read more

"Enjoyed this read. Some solid words of wisdom on leadership and work ethic in general...." Read more

"...The book contains many fascinating details about Iger’s career. Let’s remember that Iger succeeded Michael Eisner as Disney’s CEO...." Read more

"...Summary"The Ride of a Lifetime" is a fascinating read AND you can learn something from it in the by-the-way manner...." Read more

266 customers mention "Business advice"258 positive8 negative

Customers find the business advice in the book insightful, excellent, and inspiring. They also appreciate the in-depth perspective and honest story sharing. Readers describe the book as a great tool for anyone wanting to learn leadership from an excellent negotiator and risk taker. They mention that it makes complex ideas accessible for all readers and provides a humanitarian example.

"...The insider perspective really shines some perspective into decisions made back then. Overall, it’s a pretty easy read and it’s hard to put down...." Read more

"...Disney fans who like to hear the insider corporate stuff, easy read, insightful and nicely written." Read more

"Enjoyed this read. Some solid words of wisdom on leadership and work ethic in general...." Read more

"...and the lessons shared are so insightful and can be applied to any leadership position. It was indeed a ride of a lifetime." Read more

171 customers mention "Pacing"167 positive4 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book simple, yet filled with great stories. They also appreciate the clarity, honesty, and humor. Readers also mention that the strategies are easy to follow and track.

"...Overall, it’s a pretty easy read and it’s hard to put down. I really enjoyed this read!" Read more

"For Disney fans who like to hear the insider corporate stuff, easy read, insightful and nicely written." Read more

"...PROS1. Great Read."The Ride of a Lifetime" reads amazingly well. I wolfed it...." Read more

"...For example, “thoroughness” is well illustrated in the preface, on pages x through xiv...." Read more

113 customers mention "Autobiography"108 positive5 negative

Customers find the autobiography well-written, insightful, and personal. They also say it's a fascinating reflection on a career for Disney overlords. Readers also mention that the book seamlessly flows through his history.

"...as I continued to discover how his intelligence, integrity and very human philosophy, carried him to his success and how he handled setbacks." Read more

"...What is clear is he is very savvy at analyzing a room and taking advantage of talking points, crises and conflict...." Read more

"...He is insightful, makes super hard decisions in the face of much opposition, but also keeps very grounded in motivating his people to always do..." Read more

"...The book gives so much in-depth perspective and honest story sharing that not only is great to be reminded of the importance of creativity but what..." Read more

65 customers mention "Content"52 positive13 negative

Customers find the content interesting, motivating, and detailed. They also say the book has enough content and details that go beyond a shining portrait. Readers also mention that the book reads as a thriller and never dwindles or diverts from topics.

"...3. Business Lessons."The Ride of a Lifetime" reads as a thriller, sprinkles some celebrity's names along the way, but it still is a business..." Read more

"...Although the book told a coherent, clear storyline with interesting vignettes, it ultimately glossed over key moments in the general sense, rather..." Read more

"...that usually has some glorified narrative, this book has enough content and details that go beyond a shining portrait of the person himself...." Read more

"...An inspiring book, full of suspense. Even though I already knew the history, I’ve read breathlessly page after page" Read more

26 customers mention "Characters"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book wonderful, thoughtful, and self-aware. They also describe the book as a wonderful biography of a great business leader who truly cared for his team.

"...driven, gutsy, forthright man that is balanced with humility, kindness, and genuine humanness. This man has earned everything he has and then some." Read more

"...Firstly, he is humble - he would always credit people for their contribution and help, from first chapter till the end of the book...." Read more

"...Throughout, Iger displays an admirable dose of humility; after all did a lot of steering on his ride of a lifetime and the results speak for..." Read more

"...a great CEO and as I learned from the book, also an empathetic leader with real integrity – such a page turner that I read it in a single sitting!..." Read more

18 customers mention "Character traits"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's character traits powerful, insightful, and filled with wise nuggets. They also say the book provides a great look at the challenges and bold moves made by Disney.

"...There is a lot of inspiration to draw from this book...." Read more

"...to opportunity and embracing challenges with character, discipline, creativity, and an open mind. His narrative style is conversationally engaging...." Read more

"...wheeling and dealing he did at the top of Disney is intriguing and motivating...." Read more

"...be an intelligent man, with integrity, character, honesty and over the top ambition." Read more

17 customers mention "Character integrity"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character integrity in the book. They mention that the author is dedicated with genuine integrity, and captivated by Bob's honesty, resilience, and humble leadership. They also appreciate the hard work and dedication of the characters.

"...I enjoyed this book as I continued to discover how his intelligence, integrity and very human philosophy, carried him to his success and how he..." Read more

"...He is a great leader with candor, honest, integrity, hardworking and open-mindedness...." Read more

"...who guided his companies and employees with respect, compensation for their hard work, and decency...." Read more

"...I admire Robert Iger because he got to this position with hard work, integrity, and dedication...." Read more

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🥃

Not autobiography!

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024

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This is not an autobiography! I actually hate those books. This is written almost as a business leadership book. There are lots of great stories about success and failures, good leadership and bad. And as a Disney fan myself, it’s really cool to tie these stories back to the Disney Company. It can also be enjoyed as a modern history of the company as well. The insider perspective really shines some perspective into decisions made back then. Overall, it’s a pretty easy read and it’s hard to put down. I really enjoyed this read!

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2024

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For Disney fans who like to hear the insider corporate stuff, easy read, insightful and nicely written.

Helpful

Jonathan Peyton

Great read - business at large scale!

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2024

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Enjoyed this read. Some solid words of wisdom on leadership and work ethic in general. Great behind the scenes look into some huge acquisitions: Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Fox. The appendix wraps with 6 pages of leadership principles that are discussed throughout the book. Regardless of your employment position there's something in here for you from one of the biggest and most celebrated brands in modern history.

Helpful

Alejandro Contreras

Authentic and insightful

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024

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As a business executive, I appreciate Iger’s candidness in The Ride of a Lifetime. The book contains many fascinating details about Iger’s career. Let’s remember that Iger succeeded Michael Eisner as Disney’s CEO. His tenure was characterized by a very active and transcendent M&A agenda that expanded the concept of what Dinsey is. Iger bought Pixar, Lucas Entertainment and Marvel. Perhaps the most memorable parts of the book are about these deals, their “behind-the-scenes”, and about the partnership with Steve Jobs.
Iger also avoided to fall into the boisterous bravado of some business leaders, which sometimes try to tell their story as the most important business story of the century. Iger comes out as objective and humane.
I recommend this book.

Helpful

Reads like a thriller, teaches better than a business textbook

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2020

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I usually start my reviews from the CONs, but there is little to be choosy about here.

The only drawback is there are not a lot of business lessons in the book. It's a great read, but I have only 11 highlights and notes. So, I didn't learn a lot.
Oh, and despite all the challenges, the whole story felt a bit lukewarm. Maybe Mr. Iger always calls every a**hole a "strong personality", or maybe he is just nice to the core? Well, it didn't feel very authentic.
On the other hand, maybe the life in the 0.01% earners in the world is so nice, how would I know?

PROS
1. Great Read.
"The Ride of a Lifetime" reads amazingly well. I wolfed it.
It reads like a fast-paced thriller, but a one that actually happened and described from the first-person perspective.
My guess is Mr. Inger had a world-class ghostwriter ;) If not, then hats off to him; he would probably made more money as a writer than the CEO of Disney.
I haven't enjoyed a book to this degree in a long time. I read it like I read the best fiction- almost in one sitting, and putting my whole life on hold to finish the book.

2. A Sneak-Peek into the Billion-Dollar World.
I've lived on this planet over 41 years and I haven't bumped yet into a person who earns billions of dollars, or the one who signs billion-dollar deals. This book was my next-to-best experience.
I appreciate the author let me into his world and showed me around a bit. Steve Jobs, George Lucas... Now, I feel like I interacted with them.

3. Business Lessons.
"The Ride of a Lifetime" reads as a thriller, sprinkles some celebrity's names along the way, but it still is a business book.
My takeaways were few and far between, yet each time they were significant. Let's go over a few of them:
"Don't let your ego get in the way of making the best possible decisions."
We are emotional beings and most of emotions are related to our ego. It's enough to just take a step back and assess the situation to notice extraordinary solutions.
It applies as to life decisions as aptly as to business decisions.

"Long shots aren't usually as long as they seem."
You never know till you try. NEVER!

"What people think of you, they will think of your company."
It was the hurdle between Disney and Pixar in the first place. The two CEOs didn't think of themselves too high. So, there was no space for doing business. The shift of the relationship was possible only with the personal changes.

"Each deal depended on building trust with a single controlling entity."
Well, in plain English: with a single person. Relationships are paramount in business. In fact, it's the 80% of the business. And the fabric of each relationship is always the mutual trust.

And a couple of lessons from between the lines:
1. "Stay humble; be persistent."
Just being humble and making decisions with a clear head would've been worthless without perseverance. The grit of Robert Inger demonstrated throughout his career is simply superb.

2. "Emotions, emotions, emotions."
When the author described the biggest deals which build the power of Disney as it is now (Pixar, Marvel, LucasArts), he was all about navigating the emotions of the other man. There are some business considerations sprinkled over his narration, but the main thing was always considering the other person's emotions.
LucasArts was the legacy for George Lucas. It couldn't be treat as a common business decision. Yes, Inger had to consider the financial aspect, but even the price Lucas obtained was the result of how much George identified with his universe than an effect of logical calculations.
Once Robert built a rapport with Steve, the deal between Pixar and Disney was almost seamless.
Emotions are paramount, too.

Summary
"The Ride of a Lifetime" is a fascinating read AND you can learn something from it in the by-the-way manner.
The insight into the lives of the most powerful people in the world was an icing on the cake.
During my lecture, I really liked the author as a person. Reading his story I appreciated how he found a balance between remaining a human being and becoming the top corpo official at the same time.

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

Student

Enjoyable book presenting his exciting professional life which illustrated his profound philosophy

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2020

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This is a fabulous book!

Not only is it: “Lessons learned from 15 years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company”, it is his underlying philosophy which stood him well. And it includes the background of what was going on so you get the full flavor of the situation. Also, and extremely important, is the very human emotions (that we all have, but some people are able to delude themselves to believe that they don’t) that he had during several of the very stressful situations that he encountered.

The book cover lists the eight “principles that are necessary for true leadership” and the book explores and documents how these principles guided him.

For example, “thoroughness” is well illustrated in the preface, on pages x through xiv. On these pages are described the events, emotions, concern for his employees safety and well-coordinated efforts of the Disney World staff when a mass murder occurred June 12, 1998, just 15 miles from Disney World. In particular, when it was discovered that the original target of the mass murderer, was Disney World.

“Focus” which also includes “find another way” was displayed on pages 18 & 19 when the 1979 World Table Tennis Championship would be held in North Korea, which was under “strict U.S. sanctions against doing any business with North Korea.” This was while he worked for ABC Sports and long before Iger worked at Disney. Robert Iger found a legal way to ENTER North Korea
and cover this sporting event.

“Integrity” is illustrated one pages 19 & 20 where he failed to get coverage of a major sports event and the next morning, the boss (Mr. Roone) asked, “Who was at fault?”. Bob Iger raised his hand and you can read what happened on page 20.

“Courage” on page 34 was displayed while he was still at ABC Sports when he was offered a significant promotion and he objected, saying “I don’t know that part of the business.” Those offering the position to him said, “You’ll be great.” And he was.

He takes you through the mechanics of his success and the emotions and self-control including when on, pages xiv through xix also he relates that in Shanghai China, the night before Disney to open the Disney theme park and escort high Chinese officials through parts of the park and also meet with the press, Robert Iger was told that an alligator had attacked a child at Disney World. Read how he handled himself and how he and his staff handled this tragedy of the alligator attack and the good front he made in front of his Shanghai guests.

There are more than 200 pages in the book. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it.

I enjoyed this book as I continued to discover how his intelligence, integrity and very human philosophy, carried him to his success and how he handled setbacks.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Syntich

It's very informative

Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2024

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I really like the book

Amazon Customer

ufff

Reviewed in Mexico on October 7, 2023

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Excelente libro, gran ejemplo de lider en empresas, valentia, team work, liderazgo. Robert es un gran lider de nuestra epoca, vale toda la pena leer y aprender de sus aventuras.

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Dodo

Best book I ever read about management

Reviewed in France on May 24, 2024

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Easy to understand- and super logical way of thinking. Thank you Bob for this wonderful book! I learned a lot from you.

Guilherme Quadros dos Santos

Detailed satisfactorily

Reviewed in Brazil on January 26, 2023

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Interesting histories about Disney CEO, how he got to this position and projects he led, even with Steve Jobs

Customer Fan

Recommend to read all who inspire to be a CEO

Reviewed in Germany on March 24, 2023

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If you wish to be one day CEO or any other high position then read this book. There is so much backstabbing, no private life and constant worry that it makes you rethink if you really want to give your life to some company. No, thank you! But book was good, well written and interesting!

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