Disney has undergone quite the change in recent years.

Bob Iger served as CEO for many years before stepping aside suddenly and selecting Bob Chapek as his successor. Chapek’s run at Disney, however, was short-lived. After finding himself in the middle of a number of battles and controversies (from the handling of the Parental Rights in Education Act in Florida to contract disputes with Scarlett Johansson), Chapek was swiftly removed from his position and replaced once again with Iger. But just who is Iger looking to for inspiration now that he’s back? Well, if you are an Iger expert, the answer might not surprise you.

Bob Iger has been named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2023 and TIME recently released an interview with Iger that touches on a number of topics, including Disney’s battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and criticisms about Disney straying from its core values.

But the interview also addressed Iger’s return as CEO and whether he is looking to anyone else out there who has done something similar (returned to the CEO position of a Company they once worked for). Iger shared that the person he thinks the most of is Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple.

Iger noted how Jobs was “brought back to a company that he had founded,” which are very different circumstances than what Iger is facing since Iger didn’t create Disney. Still, Iger said, “speaking with him when I did, and reflecting on what his experiences were—I’ve taken a lot from that. One is when you are brought back, and you agree to come back, you have to do so with unbelievable enthusiasm, and not an ounce of hesitation.”

Iger continued, “you have to know very quickly what it is you’re expected to accomplish and what it is you can accomplish. And then go at it with incredible resolve, incredible zeal, and incredible energy.”

For those who may not be familiar with Jobs’ story, Jobs founded Apple with Stephen Wozniak back in the 1970s. But tensions at Apple led to Jobs’ ouster in 1985. By 1996, Apple was in a tough financial situation, at which point they brought back Jobs as a consultant and eventually, he became the leader of the Company once again. The rest, as they say, is history. Apple went on to innovate and create new products (under Jobs’ leadership) that would revolutionize the tech industry — from iTunes to the iPod and much, much more.

The core thing to know though is that Jobs, like Iger, was a returning CEO, and in his case, that worked out well. It seems Iger is seeking inspiration from Jobs’ success to make his second run as CEO a success as well.

Iger’s admiration for Jobs goes beyond a quick moment in an interview though. They had a long relationship that spanned many years and ultimately led to Disney’s purchase of Pixar. In 1986, Jobs obtained a controlling interest in Pixar and helped build Pixar into a major animation studio. He ultimately agreed to sell it to Disney while Iger was in control in 2006.

In 2019, an article appeared in Vanity Fair which was adapted from Iger’s book The Ride of A Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. In that portion of the book, Iger details his relationship with Jobs and says, “Our connection was much more than a business relationship. We enjoyed each other’s company immensely, and we felt we could say anything to each other, that our friendship was strong enough that it was never threatened by candor.”

Iger went on to say, “when I think back on my time as CEO—at the things I’m most grateful for and surprised by—my relationship with Steve is one of them. He could criticize me, and I could disagree, and neither of us took it too personally.”

In another portion of the book, Iger notes how Steve once told his wife (now widow), Laurene Powell Jobs, “I love that guy,” when speaking about Iger. Iger shared, “The feeling was mutual.”

Interestingly, back in 2019 Iger also noted that he believed “if Steve were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.” An Apple-Disney merger is something that has been rumored more recently as well. In 2022, Iger commented on a possible merger with Apple calling it “nothing more than speculation.” But it seems that once upon a time this might have been a bit more of a possible reality.

Iger recently even sent some Disney employees a Steve Jobs book — Make Something Wonderful, Steve Jobs in his own words. Michael Vargo, Vice President of D23, Special Events, and Disney Corporate Creative Resources, posted about this via Instagram.

You can actually download the book for free on Apple Books if you want to give it a read. The book is a collection of Jobs’ speeches, interviews, and correspondence. It is meant to showcase Jobs’ “perspective on his childhood, on launching and being pushed out of Apple, on his time with Pixar and NeXT, and on his ultimate return to the company that started it all.”

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It appears Iger sent the book along with a letter that discusses how Iger sought advice from Steve Jobs on something, and while Iger approached him as a shareholder and board member, Jobs insisted that he treat him as a “friend and advisor.” Iger noted that he became great friends with Jobs over the years and they shared a passion for things, along with an appreciation for the “intersection of great creativity with groundbreaking technology.”

Iger shared that since Jobs’ passing, “rarely has a day gone by that [he hasn’t] thought of Steve.” He continued, “I often find myself drawing from his wisdom and instincts, and I would give almost anything to seek advice from him again.”

Iger concluded that when looking back at his time as CEO, one of the things he’s most grateful for and surprised by is his relationship with Jobs. You can see Iger’s full letter below.

Interestingly, Britannica refers to Jobs’ return to Apple in 1996 as “saving Apple.” He returned when Apple was “saddled by huge financial losses and on the verge of collapse,” and he ultimately simplified Apple’s product line, created an “award-winning advertising campaign,” and he innovated and reinvented Apple with new products.

How much of that could also serve as a guiding point for Iger? Iger is also coming back to Disney when it is in a tougher financial situation — not “on the verge of collapse” by any means, but struggling with streaming losses and focused on cutting billions of spending. Iger seems to also be “streamlining” Disney’s focus somewhat or at least reorganizing things by focusing on the “core” brands, curating other more general content, reducing thousands of jobs, and reorganizing certain divisions. His next steps could (like Jobs) include differences in advertising and innovation and reinvention with some of Disney’s own key items. We’ll have to wait and see.

With likely more challenges on the horizon, we’ll have to see where Iger’s future leads at Disney, but it seems that Jobs will likely be an influence all the way through. To learn more about Iger and his comments on recent things, click here to see his response to accusations of Disney “collaborating with predators.” And stay tuned for more news.

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What do you think about the relationship between Iger and Jobs? Tell us in the comments.

The post How Steve Jobs Influenced Disney CEO Bob Iger first appeared on the disney food blog.