Who exactly is Michael D. Eisner?
I know, I know. Eisner is stepping down as the Walt Disney Company’s CEO as of September 30th. So Michael is basically considered old news these days. Which is why Disneyana fans find it far more entertaining to speculate nowadays about what Bob Iger might do once he picks up the reins of power on October 1st.
But me? I think that — in order to know where you’re going — you first have to know where you are. More importantly, how you got to where you are.
And when you start to talk about today’s Walt Disney Company … Well, you clearly have to factor Michael Eisner into the equation. After all, it was this man’s likes, wants & desires that significantly helped shape this corporation over the past 21 years. So — before Eisner actually slips out of the spotlight on September 30th — wouldn’t it behoove us all to try & get a better understanding of who this guy is? Try & understand why he did what he did.
Well, if you want to know how Michael Eisner actually became the man that he is today, probably the best place to begin is with Michael Eisner, the boy. To be specific, a rather stressed out seven-year-old who recalled:
“We were sitting at dinner on the screened porch of the house when the voice of God (God was my father) said, “I thought I’d take you up to Camp Keewaydin to see if you might want to go there next summer.”
Thus begins “Camp” (Warner Books, June 2005) a rather personal memoir about how one Vermont summer camp helped shape & mold Michael Eisner.
Those of you who are looking for behind-the-scenes tales about the way the Walt Disney Company works are going to be rather disappointed with “Camp.” This 208-page book doesn’t share all that many Mouse House secrets. Oh, sure. You’ll find a few veiled references to what was going on in Eisner’s life as he was writing this book. Passages like:
“A few times, (this) project was put on the back burner by distractions from people who could have used a few summers ar camp earlier in their lives …”
And:
“In my business life, a weakened economy and personal vendettas exceptional even by Hollywood standards led to shareholder discontent and crises in the boardroom.”
Take that, Roy & Stan!
But — beyond these brief glimpses behind the corporate curtain — you’ll find that this is a rather straight-forward coming-of-age tale. Where Eisner recounts how his experiences over some 14 summers at Camp Keewaydin in Salisbury, VT. helped make him into the man he is today.
Now I know that — given how popular it is to villify this guy today — that there probably won’t be a whole of takers out there for “Camp.” Which is really a shame.
Why For? Well … Eisner remains an enigma to a lot of people. Even after reading “Work in Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success,” that 1998 autobiography that Michael co-wrote with Tony Schwartz, you get the feeling that Disney’s soon-to-ex-CEO is one really closed-off cat.
But — when you read “Camp” — you get a sense of this whole ‘nother Michael Eisner. Not the big, tough corporate warrior. But — rather — the kid who’s still trying to find his way in the world, the young boy who’s still trying to win the approval of his rather odd father.
I don’t know what to tell you folks. Maybe it’s because I too went to camp when I was a kid (Camp Resolute in Bolton, MA. My brother, Bob, and my nephew, Nick, are actually there right now. Spending a week in the woods with their scout troop). Or maybe it’s because I’ve been enjoying how much my daughter has been enjoying her time back here in New England. Where this Honolulu city kid seems to want to spend every waking hour out in the fresh air. Whether it’s swimming in the pool, taking my parent’s beagle for a walk and/or collecting fireflies in the backyard.
Whatever the reason, “Camp” really struck a chord with me. As I read through this slim volume (Which — FYI — was “researched” by Aaron Cohen) and read Eisner’s stories about boxing matches, canoe accidents and run-ins with somewhat crazed truck drivers, Michael suddenly didn’t seem like the duplicitious CEO that James B. Stewart had depicted in “Disney War.” He just seemed like a regular guy. One who — admittedly — has a rather unusual job. But still a guy who — when he’s having trouble dealing with work and/or his family — enjoys the clarity that comes when you get away for a while. Spend some time out in the woods.
So — if you want to have a better understanding of who Michael Eisner really is — I suggest that you pick up a copy of “Camp” and give it a quick read.
Now as for predicting what Robert Iger might do when he finally officially becomes Disney’s new CEO … I don’t know. Maybe you’d be better off with a pack of tarot cards. Or perhaps a crystal ball.
Your thoughts?