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What does it truly take to lead an organization through massive change? How do you inspire a demoralized culture facing extreme challenges to come together as a team and achieve the impossible?
Few leaders have faced steeper turnarounds than former Marvel Entertainment CEO Peter Cuneo. When Cuneo took the reins in the late 1990s, Marvel was nearly bankrupt after years of mismanagement. Fast forward 10 years from Cuneo’s arrival, and Marvel Studios exploded onto the Hollywood scene with blockbusters like Iron Man and The Avengers, culminating in a $4.5 billion purchase by Disney.
So how did Cuneo lead Marvel from the brink of disaster to incredible success? On a recent episode of The Business Growth Show, Cuneo shared his top lessons on organizational leadership and culture change.
How to Turn an Organization Around:
- Lead from the front – As a leader, you need to set the tone through your own actions, accountability and example. Cuneo emphasizes that leaders cannot just talk about change, they need to demonstrate it in their own behavior. Walk the talk. If you want a culture of openness and vulnerability, be open and vulnerable yourself first.
- Communication is oxygen – Be exceptionally open, honest and vulnerable as a leader. Quickly admit mistakes rather than hiding them. Actively ask people to surface issues early before they become major problems. Communication builds trust and psychological safety.
- Take risks and make enemies – Real, deep change inevitably means some people will be unhappy. Avoiding the tough calls that can inspire an organization to raise the bar means you likely won’t drive meaningful improvement. Have courage to make the hard decisions.
- Hire for fire and desire – Skills can be taught but intrinsic motivation cannot. Give people with the right attitude, mindset and cultural fit a chance, even if they don’t check all the experience boxes. Marvel took risks on passionate people looking to prove themselves rather than established stars.
- Invest in face-time – Even in an increasingly digital word, in-person interactions are key to building deeper connections and understanding. As a leader, make time for face-to-face interactions around important leadership moments. Body language and personal presence matter.
In the end, Cuneo powerfully reinforces that culture stems from leadership. With courage, vulnerability and rock-solid conviction, leaders can inspire even extremely challenged teams to achieve the seemingly impossible.
The story of Marvel’s miracle turnaround stands as a remarkable example of the power of resilient leadership in the darkest of times. Cuneo led Marvel to deliver one of the great comeback stories in entertainment history. How? By setting the tone through his personal accountability, risk-taking and openness. He rebuilt Marvel brick-by-brick, demonstrating the leadership qualities he wanted to see in others.
In any distressed organization, the leader sets the culture. But with care, conviction and tenacity, outstanding leaders can revive even the most distressed situation. Cuneo’s journey with Marvel stands tall as an inspiration to all leaders facing adversity. Though the road may look dark, brave leadership lights the path, even when unpopular.
With trust and communication as the foundation, dedicated teams can climb from the deepest holes. Cuneo’s lessons remind us that with compassion and vision, the boldest turnarounds start from within.
For more expert advice in business, sales, marketing, life, and everything in-between, tune in to future episodes of Fordify LIVE! every Wednesday at 11AM Central on your favorite social media platform, or you can listen to new episodes of The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday on the podcast network of your choice.
Peter Cuneo is an American businessperson known for serving as CEO and Vice Chairman of Marvel Entertainment. He is also the host of the upcoming podcast “Superhero Leadership” which will be available at PeterCuneo.com