Siddartha Pilla

Ride of a Lifetime, by Robert Iger, gives enormous insights and lessons, not just in a corporate or a professional context but also on the personal front.

Key takeaways & Notes:

One of the most important takeaways for me in the book and something that resonated with how I look at life is, “Innovate or die, and there is no innovation if you operate out of fear of the new or untested.” The author discusses this lesson multiple times in various contexts, but this line never felt out of place. All the extraordinary people I admire and hate, in retrospection or otherwise, have always acted with self-belief and realized a need for change – a shockwave of innovation, be it in the mindsets, technology, or likewise. That is one of the many vital learnings I like to adopt from this book. The author talks about his 40+ years of professional experience, starting from the bottom of the chain in a small part of the humongous Disney business and his rise to the top of the organization. Although he modestly attributes some of it to luck, in my opinion, his grit and determination to never settle for ‘good enough’ and his eternal strive for perfection and success despite any circumstance(Be it lack of energy, time, etc., that we often tell ourselves to get content with just being ‘good enough’) is a quality that I would like to absorb and build on in my life. This book moved me in many ways than I imagined. I am still in awe and full of raw emotions while I write this note with the enormous amount of life principles Mr. Iger described in his life experiences. But when I look at the experiences and feelings he wrote in this book about his journey, it did feel real, raw, and nothing unimaginable for any fellow being, whichever part of the societal chain he belonged. On the same note, I think this is one of the very few books every manager or a leader should read and try to ponder upon their actions and inner self. 

Quotes:

These are some of the lines from the book that made me think and relook into myself and the surroundings I am presented with. I hope to use these learnings in the rest of my life or, at the worst, realize if I ever don’t. 

• Whatever shape my life took, there wasn’t a chance in the world that I would toil in frustration and lack of fulfillment. 
• I’d rather take big risks and sometimes fail than not take risks at all.
• Do not let your ego get in the way of making the best possible decision.
• There is never 100% certainty in anything you do, no matter how calculated you are. Decisions always come down to your instinct. Believe in it and improve it. 
• It is not the critic who counts but the man in the arena whose face is marred with dust, sweat, and blood.
• Never lose the awareness of self, however powerful or destitute you become.
• Perfection is a mindset, not necessarily a set of rules.
• True Integrity, a sense of knowing who you are and being guided by your own clear sense of right and wrong – is a kind of secret leadership weapon. 
• Long shots are not usually as long as they seem. With thought and commitment, bold ideas can be executed.