Leadership & Management

Jeffrey Katzenberg: Be Original, Be Unique, Be Risky

On this podcast episode, the former CEO of Dreamworks talks about his biggest successes, most epic failures, and bouncing back after being fired by Disney.

November 30, 2018

| by Jenny Luna

 

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Jeffrey Katzenberg. Credit: Courtesy of Jeffrey Katzenberg

Jeffrey Katzenberg visited Stanford GSB in 2018 as part of the View From The Top speaker series. | Courtesy of Jeffrey Katzenberg

“Original plus unique equals risky. Risky equals failure. If you don’t allow some failure in the equation, you won’t have people being unique and original.”

In his visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Jeffrey Katzenberg talked with Madeline Dangerfield-Cha, MBA ’18, about why leaders must create an environment that encourages employees to take risks, even if that means they will sometimes fail. The film studio executive talked about what he learned during the making of blockbusters like Aladdin and The Lion King, and from lesser-known projects that flopped. Katzenberg also discussed his journey after being fired from Disney and reflected on what he would have done differently.

Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career.

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