“I’m pretty human.” 不凡的企業，「平凡」的CEO

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現今迪士尼公司是坐擁漫威影業等子公司的龐大媒體集團，站在迪士尼CEO的位置上，需要具備哪些條件，肩負什麼樣的責任？

座談主持人歐普拉說，艾格看起來總是那麼完美。但艾格坦言「其實我也是很平凡的人。」在這場新書座談中，艾格談及了生涯中兩項關鍵事件：鱷魚攻擊、收購皮克斯。我們可以在其中窺探，艾格口中的平凡，有哪些不一樣的特質。

Before you start

羅伯特「鮑伯」・艾格
Robert “Bob” Iger
1951年2月10日

WHO

艾格曾是氣象主播，1974年進入美國廣播公司(ABC)電視台從事週薪僅150美元的基層工作，1993年成為ABC電視集團總裁。2005年接任迪士尼執行長，是促成迪士尼公司轉型最重要的人物之一。

WHAT

艾格自2005年上任以來，先後收購了皮克斯動畫工作室、漫威娛樂、盧卡斯影業、以及21世紀福斯的大部分資產，將迪士尼公司轉型成為娛樂事業巨擘。除了原先的卡通及主題樂園外，更成為現今最大的電影製作公司、擁有眾多電視頻道以及串流平台。

HIGHTLIGHT

艾格獲選時代雜誌2019年百大影響力人物。彭博集團創辦人Michael Bloomberg給予其高度評價「華特・迪士尼喜歡說，成功建立在4個 “C”之上，好奇(curiosity)、自信(confidence)、勇氣(courage)、和貫徹(constancy)，目前沒有比艾格更能體現這些特質的人了。」

陪伴躁鬱父親，培養情緒敏銳度

艾格的父親早年受躁鬱症困擾，當時艾格的房間在家中二樓，總能藉由父親上下樓梯的腳步聲，辨認出他今日的情緒狀況，並做好應對的準備。這樣的經歷培養了他對自身和他人情緒的敏銳度。

「形象比賺錢重要」？艾格立場耐人尋味

艾格身為迪士尼的門面，往往需要對許多爭議表態。例如主持人Rosanne Barr發表種族歧視言論後，艾格無視虧損下令終止節目；當美國喬治亞州通過《反墮胎法案》，艾格揚言拒絕到該地拍片；然而，10月初NBA的挺港言論風波，卻傳出迪士尼旗下的ESPN體育頻道禁止員工談及中港議題。另外，對於近來迪士尼樂園員工低薪、生活品質惡劣的新聞，艾格未曾正面回應。在這些議題上艾格展現截然不同的態度，不免讓人困惑。

座談節錄

節錄自紐約猶太青年組織92nd Street Y的座談會：
Robert Iger with Oprah Winfrey — The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

當企業遇上危機，CEO親上火線

2016年，籌備了18年的上海迪士尼樂園即將開幕，中美兩地的高層都聚集到上海。但就在此時，迪士尼的大本營奧蘭多卻接連發生慘案。

…It was the Grand Floridian Hotel. I’ve stayed there a number of times so I immediately knew the beach that it took place on. And then we went into crisis mode, and immediately determined that a family had been on the beach. Matt and Melisa Graves were the parents with two kids, a daughter and a son named Lane. An alligator at dusk was prowling the shores. Then the boy had a pail that he filled with water to play with sand toys, and the alligator attacked and took him. I think it was less than a day later when they recovered the body and confirmed that obviously he was gone.

...事件是在Grand Floridian 飯店發生的，我在那裡住過幾次，所以馬上辨認出事發的海灘。接下來我們就進入危機處理模式，立即確認受害的Graves一家當時在海灘上，父母Matt和Melisa、帶著女兒和小兒子Lane。一隻短吻鱷當時正在海灘覓食，Lane拿著水桶和玩具在海邊玩沙，遭到鱷魚攻擊，不幸罹難。約莫一天後搜救員找到孩子的遺體，也確認了他的死訊。

That was on a Wednesday, and on Thursday, which is the day we’re opening the park, I decided a few hours before the opening that I needed to first put out a statement from me. I didn’t want an unnamed corporate spokesperson to say something about it. I wanted it to come from a person with a name and a face and a job, and that was me. I took full responsibility.

事發當天是週三，週四上海迪士尼就要開幕。儀式開始的幾小時前，我決定親自發表聲明。我不希望這聲明來自某不具名的企業發言人，而是要來自一位有代表身份及地位的人，那就是我，我願意肩負所有責任。 

歐普拉：你的律師團沒有阻止你這麼做？

Well lawyers are typically trained to reduce a company’s exposure from a liability perspective, but our general counsel, a man named Alan Braverman, someone I’ve worked with closely since 1992, is a lawyer and a businessman, and a human being. When I went to him, Zenia Mucha, who is our head of corporate communications, said I need to put out a statement. They immediately understood that. There was no resistance. I think companies often face that kind of resistance. I have not found that.

一般來說，專業律師會避免一間公司在企業責任上被放大檢視的機會。但我們的首席法律顧問Alan Braverman，是律師同時也是位富有人性的生意人，我從1992年起便與他合作至今。當我們向他諮詢時，企業傳播主管Zenia Mucha贊同我必須發表聲明，Alan的全體團隊也馬上理解並表示同意。我認為企業面對這種決定時多少會有些疑慮，但當時公司並沒有人提出異議。之後，艾格決定致電家屬。

歐普拉：你和家屬在電話中說了什麼？

After telling them who I was and where I was, I immediately said that I’m a grandfather of four kids and a parent of four children. I could not fathom what they were experiencing and what they were going through.

我和家屬表明身份以及當時所在的地點，我告訴他們，我是四個孩子的父親也是四個孫子的爺爺，但儘管如此，我還是無法想像如果這件事情發生在我的家人身上，那會有多麼痛苦。

…And then I said, “If there’s anything I can possibly do for you, our team is right there. We have a great crisis team there. If there’s anything I can possibly do for you, here’s my number. Please let me know.”

我說：「我們在當地有良好的危機處理團隊，這是我的聯絡方式，如果我有什麼能為你們做的，請一定要讓我知道。」

And Matt Graves, the father, said to me… He was amazingly composed. And he said, “Yes, there’s something I’d like you to do.” I said, “What is that?” And he said, “I want you to promise me that you will do everything possible to prevent this from ever happening to another child, so that my son Lane’s life will not have been lived in vain.”

孩子的父親Matt Graves當時真的非常理性，他說：「有，有幾件事我希望你能做到」，我說：「是什麼呢？」他說：「我希望你保證盡其所能地，不讓這悲劇再次重演，這樣我兒子Lane就不會白白犧牲了。」

歐普拉：後來你有再和這家人聯繫嗎？為什麼呢？

Yes, as an extension of wanting to put a human being behind the big company, I thought I should give them the ability to meet with me personally to either express more, if they wanted to. And for me to give them an update on what we had done.

有，我想是為了讓他們感受到，迪士尼這個大企業背後是有活生生的人在經營的。若Graves一家人願意的話，我認為我應該讓他們有更多當面向我表達想法的機會，也讓我能告訴他們迪士尼做了哪些措施。

遇到難解的合作關係，捨棄談判先交心

艾格不吝坦承自己是個「果粉」，賈伯斯對他而言是英雄般的角色。然而艾格剛上任執行長時，迪士尼和皮克斯的關係並不佳，雙方因電影合作累積了些許摩擦。艾格一通打招呼的電話，意外開啟了他和賈伯斯的友誼，並逐步促成皮克斯的收購。

The relationship got really frayed, and happened over a variety of circumstances, tough negotiations, some battles on the creative side, the clash of egos, the shift of leverage, you name it. I thought the relationship was critical to Disney in particular because animation is so important to the Walt Disney Company. So when I got the job, when I was named, I didn’t know Steve well, but I called and said, “I’m the new CEO. I’d love to come see you and talk about the relationship.”

當時（迪士尼和皮克斯）在合作上有許多摩擦，關係並不好。艱困的談判、創作上的角力、互不退讓的主見、權力結構的轉換...想得到的都有。但我認為我與皮克斯的關係非常關鍵，因為動畫電影對迪士尼來說非常重要。所以即使我剛上任時和賈伯斯並不熟，還是打了通電話給他，說：「我是新任執行長，希望有機會能拜訪您，談談兩家公司的關係」。

And it’s a typical Steve question “How long have you been the number two of Disney?”. I said “Five years.” and he said “Why should I think you’re going to be different than the guy who was in the job and I didn’t like?” And I said, “Well, I’d just like a chance to prove that I’m different.” And he said, “Well, when the dust settles, come up.”

那時賈伯斯用一個非常有個人特色的問題回應我：「你當迪士尼的『第二把交椅』多久了？」我說五年，他說：「那我憑什麼相信，你不會跟以前的執行長一樣不討喜？」我回他：「請給我一個機會來證明我的不同」。最後他說：「那等一切塵埃落定，就過來一趟吧」。

交友謹慎是蘋果創辦人賈伯斯(Steve Jobs)的特質之一，艾格是他少數深交的朋友。此通電話後，兩家公司的關係漸漸改善，也培養了兩人的信任。

在迪士尼和皮克斯宣布併購的前一個小時，賈伯斯私下告知艾格關於自己癌症復發的消息，想給他放棄收購的最後機會，但艾格決定維持收購。此事過後他們成為更密切的朋友。艾格說，他因此得以窺見賈伯斯私下慷慨、善良且天真的一面。

為什麼沒買下Twitter？艾格：別試著承擔你擔不起的重任

迪士尼曾考慮收購社群平台Twitter，但在談判的第11個小時決定取消，艾格在座談中說明他決定放棄的原因。

We looked at Twitter because we liked the technology and the platform to reach more people in more modern ways. And we thought we could basically send folks our stuff, both marketing and full-form television and movies. But when we got into it more, we realized the responsibility to manage a business like that in today’s world with all the influence, both good and bad, was too great for the Walt Disney Company to take on. And I thought ultimately it would harm our image. And frankly, I didn’t want to have to deal with a lot of those problems. I could not take them lightly.

當時，我們曾考慮買下Twitter，是因為這個科技能讓人用現代化的方式接觸更多人，而我們原先也想透過Twitter擴大行銷模式，讓我們的電影、電視作品有更好的曝光平台。但當我們更深入暸解Twitter後才理解，在這個時代經營這樣的社群平台必須付出超乎想像的重任，並不是那時的華特迪士尼公司可以擔得起的，最後甚至會傷害公司的形象。老實說，我個人也不想被迫處理這些並不輕鬆的問題。

編按：推薦讀者搭配字幕觀賞全篇座談，親身感受歐普拉和艾格妙語如珠的精彩。 

編輯/ 英語島編輯室

 本文收錄於英語島English Island 2019年11月號
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