Bob Iger says difficulties for today’s leaders are ‘much greater’
After spending nearly two decades as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger said leaders in today’s world are experiencing something different than even he did during much of his career.
“I just think the difficulty level for leaders in today's world is much greater than it ever was," Iger told ABC News’ Robin Roberts in an interview that aired Tuesday on “Good Morning America." "And it's something that I saw very profoundly between my first tenure at Disney and when I came back."
Iger stepped down as CEO in 2020, before returning in 2022 and leading the company for another four years.
During his nearly 20-year tenure as CEO -- which ended in March -- Iger welcomed Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox to the Disney family, and launched the company's Disney+ streaming service.
In his upcoming book, “One Last Time: Managing Crisis and Building Resilience at Disney,” Iger reflects on the perspective and direction he gained during his time at Disney, and how he returned after two years away to a more uncertain and crisis-filled global environment.
As a result, Iger told Roberts that leading in today’s world is all about resiliency.
“Resilience is incredibly important. And what is that?,” Iger said. “It's the ability to call it like it is, to not in any way try to make light of a crisis, to know how to deal with it rationally and reasonably and quickly, to have the stamina to deal with not one crisis but one crisis after another crisis, after another crisis, to be unbelievably deft in communication [and] to put together a great team.”
Iger said that through the ups and downs of leading at Disney, it “never got old” to know the joy the company was bringing to millions of people around the world.
“It’s actually just extraordinary how the company has brought happiness to the world for decades,” he said, adding that he takes pride in having maintained the legacy of the 100-year-old company during his time as CEO.
"To have the opportunity not just to run the company like that, but to have the opportunity to grow the company and to strengthen the company and to hand it off to a successor, in a very healthy state, for instance, certainly, I think that would be up there," Iger said when asked by Roberts what he sees as his greatest accomplishment. "That you know, I did no harm. In fact, I think I actually did some good."
He continued, "In addition to that, through the years of running the company, having the opportunity to bring joy to the world, to entertain the world, was extraordinary, and that's a nice legacy to leave."
Iger also reflected on things he would have changed about his tenure at Disney, saying he doesn't spend much of his time "second guessing."
"I've always tried to learn from the mistakes that I made. It turned out pretty well, so I probably wouldn't want to do anything differently," he said. "Obviously, if I could go back and say, 'Well, why didn't we make that movie?,' or, 'Could have been better,' there are a bunch of those. But you don't really have that luxury."
Honored as ‘icon of culture’
On Tuesday night, Iger will be honored as the 2026 PAC NYC Icon of Culture, a recognition of the work he did at Disney and beyond over the course of his career.
Iger will receive the honor at the third annual PAC NYC Icons of Culture Gala Perelman Performing Arts Center, a cultural center at the reimagined World Trade Center site in New York City.
“It’s great to be recognized,” he said of the award, adding, “I think, in many respects, I accept it on behalf of Disney. Disney is really the icon of culture.”
Just as he did at the helm of Disney, Iger said he continues to see the importance of arts and culture in bringing joy to people.
"I think in today's world, which we know is complicated often, and creates a tremendous amount of anxiety, the ability to support the arts that ultimately bring people together and share great common experiences, I think has never been more important," he said.
Today, Iger’s own day-to-day life post-Disney is much “quieter,” he told Roberts, adding, "Life is in a way smaller in many respects, and I like that."
Iger though is still bringing experiences to people, this time on the basketball court, as a new co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers with businessman Josh Kushner.
"We really believe in today's world in the value of convening people to have great experiences, and sports does that. We know that," Iger said, adding that his role with the Lakers is still to be determined. "People love to experience things together, and, you know, the Lakers are an incredible brand."
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
