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Bob Chapek

The Walt Disney Company CEO says: Develop the greatest strength in the world — willpower

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Walt Disney Company CEO traces his remarkable journey, from humble roots running cross country in America’s industrial heartland to running one of the world’s most iconic companies.

As a track and cross country athlete, Bob Chapek used to run beneath the smokestacks of the steel mills and oil refineries of his native Hammond, Indiana, and imagine that he was headed to someplace else. His legs were strong, but his imagination and resolve were stronger and carried him far away from those smoke clogged streets to the magical kingdom of Disney, where he has spent nearly three decades leading growth and transformation at The Walt Disney Company, home to some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN and National Geographic.

“I think one of the greatest strengths in the world is willpower. Individual human willpower,” Bob said, “To an extent, running for me was a symbol of wanting to persevere and do something bigger and better. Since then, I’ve seen it at work in countless places. Never underestimate the power of one person’s will to get something done!”

Listeners looking to sharpen their presentation and leadership skills will receive a mini-tutorial from the master himself as Bob shows how he has turned “overpreparation” into an art form, including his patented “pencils down” process.


You will learn:

16:30 Bob Chapek’s step-by-step preparation process.
20:00 The concept of “curiosity-to-vision” which he uses to fuel Disney’s innovation pipeline.
30:00 How to strike a “strategically consistent but tactically divergent” balance among creative and financial goal setting.
32:15 The role of storytelling in Disney’s successful effort to scale its brand from Anaheim to Shanghai.
36:00 The role of recruitment in reinforcing company culture.



You will learn:

  •  6:00   How easy it is to cut corners in practice and why you’ll suffer as a result.
  •  8:00   How to emphasize the power or “we” on your team.
  • 11:00  How living and working in Japan in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster taught Lane that caring was the universal language of respected leaders.
  • 15:00  The level of employee interaction required to achieve success.
  • 18:30  The difference between being accountable and responsible.
  • 27:00  How to identify a meaningful friend or mentor.

Resources:


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Special thanks to Dave Moore, Lauren Hafner, Samantha Clark, and the Florida State University Internship Program for consistently supporting our research team.

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