--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not sure I was a typical head of a…" description: "\"I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most people that run big companies come out of sales and they come out of marketing and they're quite s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/michael-eisner-11492_big-companies_i-m-not-sure-i-was-a-typical-head-of-a-c_723299.jpg" --- # I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most… ![“I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most people that run big companies come out of sales and they come out of marketing and they're quite serious and they have MBA's from very good schools and things like that. I'm an accidental CEO, thank the Disney Company.” quote by Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/michael-eisner-11492_big-companies_i-m-not-sure-i-was-a-typical-head-of-a-c_723299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/michael-eisner-11492_big-companies_i-m-not-sure-i-was-a-typical-head-of-a-c_723299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/809/michael-eisner-11492_big-companies_i-m-not-sure-i-was-a-typical-head-of-a-c_723299.jpg) > “I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most people that run big companies come out of sales and they come out of marketing and they're quite serious and they have MBA's from very good schools and things like that. I'm an accidental CEO, thank the Disney Company.” [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes his unconventional path to leadership, highlighting that CEOs can emerge from unexpected backgrounds. **In simple terms:** Leaders can come from non‑traditional routes. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse experiences. Themes leadership career paths non‑traditional backgrounds Mood reflective inspirational Type advice career narrative When to use this quote - executive recruitment - career counseling - leadership development - company culture - talent acquisition Key Concepts accidental leadership diversity of experience Questions to Reflect On - How can companies value unconventional talent? - What skills matter most for CEOs? A Different Perspective Not all CEOs have formal business training; success also depends on adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidental Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidental-ceo-5680062/) [Big companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Company People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company-people-472094/) [Disney company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disney-company/) [Good school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-school/) [Good Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-schools/) [Head Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head-company-3941370/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Mba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mba/) [Not sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-sure/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Typical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typical/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) ## Related quotes > [You're gonna blame me because you were the business head of the company and you made a bad business deal with your own company?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/you-re-gonna-blame-me-because-you-were-the-business-head-of-the/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Whenever possible, I like to have the supreme head of a company show me over the works. It is extremely illuminating to note the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/whenever-possible-i-like-to-have-the-supreme-head-of-a-company-show/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [“Seek an interview with the department head of the company where you want to work. See the highest executive possible. The Human Resources department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-brock/seek-an-interview-with-the-department-head-of-the-company-where-you/) [John A. Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-brock/) > [When you're C.E.O., you have to have two conditions: first, shareholders need to trust you and want you to head your company. The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ghosn/when-you-re-c-e-o-you-have-to-have-two-conditions-first-shareholders/) [Carlos Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ghosn/) > [When you're CEO, you have to have two conditions: first, shareholders need to trust you and want you to head your company. The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ghosn/when-you-re-ceo-you-have-to-have-two-conditions-first-shareholders/) [Carlos Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ghosn/) > [I try to get people to see what I have. . . . When you run a computer company, you have to get people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-try-to-get-people-to-see-what-i-have-when-you-run-a-computer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get people better than you are. Always remember that you often find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soichiro-honda/if-you-hire-only-those-people-you-understand-the-company-will-never/) [Soichiro Honda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soichiro-honda/) > [To know you are in the company with people who love and care for each other, as well as for whatever they are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/to-know-you-are-in-the-company-with-people-who-love-and-care-for-each/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I think whenever you come in, whenever you try to evolve a company, people will get nervous. But, if you articulate a clear vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rosensweig/i-think-whenever-you-come-in-whenever-you-try-to-evolve-a-company/) [Dan Rosensweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rosensweig/) > [The basic principle which I believe has contributed more than any other to the building of our business as it is today, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-casey/the-basic-principle-which-i-believe-has-contributed-more-than-any/) [James E. Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-casey/) > [“At the end of the day, a company is made by its people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-bowen/at-the-end-of-the-day-a-company-is-made-by-its-people/) [Steven J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-bowen/) > [A company that can't fire people well is like a forest that never has a fire. It becomes overgrown, full of weeds, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/a-company-that-can-t-fire-people-well-is-like-a-forest-that-never-has/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) > [“large companies do not usually have efficient communication paths from the people closest to some of these changes at the bottom of the company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/large-companies-do-not-usually-have-efficient-communication-paths/) [Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/) > [I think I understand the relationships between different people within the company: people who are straightforward employees, people who can impact the bottom line,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-think-i-understand-the-relationships-between-different-people/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [People who work for me are working for what I believe in. The leaders who run our companies do so on the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/people-who-work-for-me-are-working-for-what-i-believe-in-the-leaders/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) ## More by Michael Eisner > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [A brand is a living entity-and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/a-brand-is-a-living-entity-and-it-is-enriched-or-undermined/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [It doesn't matter whether it comes in by cable, telephone lines, computor, or satellite. Everyone's going to have to deal with Disney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/it-doesn-t-matter-whether-it-comes-in-by-cable-telephone-lines/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I think when you get inured with the past, you get committed to the past, you stop growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/i-think-when-you-get-inured-with-the-past-you-get-committed-to-the/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [You just have to make sure the model you're working on does not undersell your product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/you-just-have-to-make-sure-the-model-you-re-working-on-does-not/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/we-have-no-obligation-to-make-history-we-have-no-obligation-to-make/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [Fear of failure is a far worse condition than failure itself, because it kills off possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/fear-of-failure-is-a-far-worse-condition-than-failure-itself-because/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [To punish failure is yet another way to encourage mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/to-punish-failure-is-yet-another-way-to-encourage-mediocrity/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [21 years as CEO is a long time. I was and probably still am the longest serving CEO in America. Certainly I am in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/21-years-as-ceo-is-a-long-time-i-was-and-probably-still-am-the/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [You can't succeed unless you've got failure, especially creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/you-can-t-succeed-unless-you-ve-got-failure-especially-creatively/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [Television is very much like the motion picture; you need high-end product that will first go on broadcast or cable and eventually on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/television-is-very-much-like-the-motion-picture-you-need-high-end/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [Doing stuff that I don't have to talk about because I'm not in a public company is fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/doing-stuff-that-i-don-t-have-to-talk-about-because-i-m-not-in-a/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I gravitate toward the team thing. I'm not a golfer - I much prefer basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/i-gravitate-toward-the-team-thing-i-m-not-a-golfer-i-much-prefer/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [When I read biographies, I'm only interested in the first few chapters. I'm not interested in when people become successful. I'm interested in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/when-i-read-biographies-i-m-only-interested-in-the-first-few-chapters/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [There's no good idea that cannot be improved on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/there-s-no-good-idea-that-cannot-be-improved-on/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) [Explore all 59 Michael Eisner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) ## More Big companies quotes > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [I started noticing a lot of big companies are bored with ads; they feel sort of lost in the advertising world. They're not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-started-noticing-a-lot-of-big-companies-are-bored-with-ads-they/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/be-creative-innovate-consistently-on-the-little-things-that-the-big/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I don't think you're going to have one bank. Big companies aren't going to give us all their business. So they can pick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-have-one-bank-big-companies-aren-t/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [In the increasingly digital world, data is a valuable currency, yet as consumers, we control and own little of it. As consumers, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/in-the-increasingly-digital-world-data-is-a-valuable-currency-yet-as/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [I never imagined I'd be working with government, or military or politicians or big companies. None of this stuff I'm doing was on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-never-imagined-i-d-be-working-with-government-or-military-or/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [The shining star in the world is Shanghai. That's what CEOs from big companies say - 'if I want mathematical analytical work done, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/the-shining-star-in-the-world-is-shanghai-that-s-what-ceos-from-big/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [They have a policy in China for their big companies called "Go abroad." It's a rational thing for both the company and the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/they-have-a-policy-in-china-for-their-big-companies-called-go-abroad/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [I hear my own daughters talking about big companies polluting the environment, and then I realise they are talking about companies of which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/i-hear-my-own-daughters-talking-about-big-companies-polluting-the/) [Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/) > [You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/you-need-to-ask-yourself-where-do-you-want-to-work-startups-mid-size/) [Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/) > [I suspect there's a lot of validity to the premise that big companies aren't going to attract entrepreneurial talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-williams/i-suspect-there-s-a-lot-of-validity-to-the-premise-that-big-companies/) [Evan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-williams/) > [“If you’re struggling to get into big companies, you probably have a weak value proposition. Pure and simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-konrath/if-you-re-struggling-to-get-into-big-companies-you-probably-have-a/) [Jill Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-konrath/) > [Before I started my company in 1998, I worked for big companies traveling a lot and saw firsthand how much waste there was. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-cornejo/before-i-started-my-company-in-1998-i-worked-for-big-companies/) [Maria Cornejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-cornejo/) [Browse all 124 Big companies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most people that run big companies come out of sales and they come out of marketing and they're quite serious and they have MBA's from very good schools and things like that. 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