Introduction
- I get up early. It’s a quiet time. It’s a rich time for me to be with my thoughts.
- Ride of a Lifetime book
Relationships in Business
- Business is about relationships. It is about interpersonal relationships with those you work for, that you work with. The better the relationships, the better the business.
- Nice guys often finish first.
- As animation went, so went the company. If we couldn’t figure out a way to improve Disney Animation, I would not last very long.
- Pixar had been an important relationship for Disney but the relationship had ruptured. I felt the best path for Disney Animation was to bring Pixar into the company. Steve became a close friend. We did a deal that created trust.
- Just before the announcement of Disney’s acquisition, Jobs told me that his cancer was back. He wanted to give me the opportunity to get out of the deal. I asked him, “Please tell me more.” The moments that are supposed to be the best of times are typically accompanied with something that is the exact opposite.
Acquisitions and Building Trust
- When you think of strong relationships, trust should be on everyone’s list for attributes.
- All of the discussions for all the acquisitions started with two people: myself and the other principal.
Failure and Risk-Taking
- Big risks equal big wins.
- Being timid does not get you anywhere. Change is everywhere and radical.
- You have to be able to contend with change and have to be willing to take risks.
- You have to be a believer in what you’re doing.
- Status quo is not a winning strategy.
- All the analysis in the world often comes down to one person’s instinct on how to apply that analysis. Every deal comes down to a person’s instinct. It doesn’t mean that I don’t collect all the data and do the homework, but I believe in going on instinct.
- Twitter was a great solution to our needs. But I realized after the board said yes, that I was overvaluing the solution and underestimating the challenges. I sent an email explaining that I had cold feet. The board agreed.
- Rupert Murdoch sold 21st Century Fox to Disney. He was worried if they could compete at scale. By selling, he thought it would give Disney more assets to compete at scale. I think he was right on both accounts.
Bridge-Building
- I believe in the importance and power of bridge-building.
- I have been amazed by how much contempt there is in our world and how quickly people express contempt with those who have opposing views.
- Contempt is such a dangerous thing. We are so quick to infuse contempt into our relationship.
- The absence of bridge-building…how does that advance the cause of society in a positive way? It doesn’t.
The Power of Optimism
- No one wants to follow a pessimist.
- Never lose a sense of hope.
- It’s optimism with a dose of realism.
- It’s incredibly important to infuse a sense of hope within people. It’s important that when you do it, you are a truth-teller.
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