Disney’s Bob Iger says success has made him “cocky”.
Recently-returned Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed one of the changes he plans to make to his leadership style in his second tenure at the helm of the company: giving employees more of a say.
In an interview with the CNBC show screeching in the street On Thursday, Iger admitted that the company’s successes had isolated him a bit during his first tenure as Disney’s CEO.
“I felt over time that because of all the experience I had gained and the fact that it was a relatively successful run, I put too much faith in my own instincts and my own decision-making,” he said. “I thought it made me a little more dismissive of other people’s ideas.”
Iger returned to the helm of the entertainment giant in November – after just 11 months away from the company – and agreed to a two-year deal as CEO.
During his 15-year tenure as CEO, Disney made some of the biggest bets in company history, acquiring Pixar, Marvel, 21StCentury Fox and Lucasfilm. Under his leadership, Disney’s market capitalization quintupled.
Upon his return to House of Mouse, Iger replaced his successor, Bob Chapek – who has been leading Disney through one of its toughest times thanks to COVID and rising inflation, but has also faced political challenges and cultural issues, and was in command when the company posted disappointing financial results and a falling share price.
In Thursday’s interview, Iger told CNBC’s David Faber he’s returning to the role with “a lot of confidence.”
Less than 24 hours after being reinstated as Disney CEO, Iger told the company’s media and entertainment staff that he would “put more decision-making back in the hands of our creative teams.”
“I have a great team of people on the ground,” he said on Thursday. “I extended some of their responsibilities yesterday. I’m an optimist at heart – I feel great about where the company is today and where I think we’ll get to.”
Earlier this week, Disney announced a dramatic restructuring that will see 7,000 employees laid off.
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