Disney Chairman Bob Iger says he became 'dismissive' of others in a revealing interview on why he stepped down as CEO

• Former Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC he became "more dismissive," which prompted his departure from the company.
• Iger said he became less tolerant of other people's opinions and that it was time for a change.

With just over a week left of his tenure at Disney, former CEO and Chairman Bob Iger is speaking up about why he decided to part ways with the company.

In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Iger said he started to think about stepping down because he felt he had become "a little bit more dismissive of other people's opinions." Iger — who currently serves as executive chairman and formerly held the position of Disney's CEO from October 2005 to February 2020, when it was announced he would be succeeded by Bob Chapek — is officially leaving the company at the end of the year.

"Over time, I started listening less and maybe with a little less tolerance of other people's opinions, maybe because of getting a little bit more overconfident in my own, which is sometimes what happens when you get built up," Iger told CNBC.

Iger, 70, did not tell CNBC his specific reasons for leaving Disney, though said he started to say "no" too quickly to his coworkers because he felt as though he had "heard every argument before." Iger added that Chapek becoming Disney's new CEO will bring some necessary change to the company.

"I became a little bit more dismissive of other people's opinions than I should have been," Iger told CNBC. "That was an early sign that it was time. It wasn't the reason I left, but it was a contributing factor."

In July, a senior executive at a non-Disney studio told Insider that many in Hollywood believe Iger and Chapek do not have a good rapport.

"It's just common knowledge. They don't get along," the senior executive said. "It's awkward with Bob Iger around, and it's a long goodbye, and Chapek is sitting there saying, 'I just want to run the company.'''

The New York Times reported in April 2020 that though Iger had officially relinquished his role as CEO in February 2020, he reasserted control as chairman because of how much the pandemic affected Disney's business.

Disney did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment.