---
title: "Ten principles of leadership"
description: "Iger's ten principles for true leadership, listed in the prologue and tested through the rest of the book."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/ten-principles-of-leadership/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Ten principles of leadership

> Iger's ten principles for true leadership, listed in the prologue and tested through the rest of the book.

Robert Iger's framework, from The Ride of a Lifetime, pp. 6 to 19.

Framework 1 of 7 from [The Ride of a Lifetime](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/index.md) by Robert Iger. Category: Hiring and teams.

## The steps

1. **Optimism.** A pragmatic enthusiasm for what can be achieved, because people are not energised by pessimists.
2. **Courage.** The foundation of risk-taking, since fear of failure destroys creativity.
3. **Focus.** Put time, energy and resources into the few things of highest value and communicate them clearly and often.
4. **Decisiveness.** Make every decision in a timely way, balancing diverse opinion against the need to decide.
5. **Curiosity.** A deep and abiding curiosity finds new people, places and ideas and starts innovation.
6. **Fairness.** Treat people decently, give second chances for honest mistakes and avoid a culture of fear.
7. **Thoughtfulness.** Take the time to gain knowledge so opinions and decisions are informed.
8. **Authenticity.** Be genuine and honest, and do not fake anything.
9. **The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection.** Refuse mediocrity and 'good enough' without sliding into perfectionism at all costs.
10. **Integrity.** Set high ethical standards for people and product, because the way you do anything is the way you do everything.

## Where it comes from

From chapter: Prologue, pp. 6–19

Iger opens in June 2016 at the opening of Shanghai Disneyland, a project that took eighteen years, and describes the week in which the Pulse nightclub shooting and the death of a two-year-old boy at a Disney resort landed on him together. He issues a statement himself, phones the boy's father and promises to do everything to prevent a repeat, then goes on stage to open the park. He uses the week to show how a leader triages, compartmentalises and refuses to hide behind a spokesperson. He closes the prologue with the ten principles he believes true leadership needs and says the rest of the book is organised chronologically around them.

## The animation

24 seconds, 4:5, no sound.

- MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/ten-principles-of-leadership.mp4
- MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/ten-principles-of-leadership-dark.mp4
- Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/ten-principles-of-leadership.png
- Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/ten-principles-of-leadership-dark.png