Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner: “Know your why…”
Conference keynote speeches can be hit-or-miss, but it seems to me that hearing from Michael Eisner at a conventions for physicians is a win.
For an entire generation (or two), it was actually “Uncle Mike” who presented “The Wonderful World of Disney,” just as “Uncle Walt” introduced “Disneyland” to viewers years before.
But, at least for a while during college, the former Disney CEO fancied himself a doctor.
AAFP.org explained of Eisner’s appearance at the 2019 Family Medicine Experience in Philadelphia:
Eisner was eight weeks into an organic chemistry class at Columbia University when he realized he wasn’t going to make it as a physician. He briefly tried his hand as a playwright, but he failed there, too.
“You have to know your why before you can love it,” said Eisner, alluding to the theme of the 2019 FMX: “Love Your Why.”
And while finding “Your Why,” Eisner said it’s essential to realize the positive which can come out of adverse situations.
AAFP.org explained further:
Happy outcomes can come out of bad situations if you think them through, said Eisner, who used clips from movies to back up his points. For example, during the production of Raiders of the Lost Ark, actor Harrison Ford was sick on a day he was supposed to film an elaborate fight scene with a big, sword-wielding bad guy.
“Couldn’t I just shoot him?” Ford asked.
Director Steven Spielberg agreed, leading to one of the most memorable scenes of the iconic film.
Finally, Eisner told the physicians — that because of their why — they make such a positive impact.
Eisner said he “did some math” and estimated that the thousands of physicians in the room had likely had a direct impact on the lives of roughly 30 million people, “including lives you’ve saved”…
Eisner [added that] it took him years to find meaning in his work, but physicians should know their why.
“Love it, treasure it and embrace it,” he said.