Jim Fielding: Leading Through Change at Disney, Fox & Claire’s

How do you build a career and a leadership style rooted in people, culture, and curiosity? In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Jim Fielding, former CEO of Claire’s, President of Disney Stores Worldwide, and President of 20th Century Fox Consumer Products. Jim is also the author of All Pride, No Ego and host of the Jim Fielding & Friends podcast. With over 40 years of experience across retail, media, and entertainment, Jim shares lessons on adapting to revolutions in retail, leading teams through change, and why the future of business is all about human connection. Key Topics Covered Why the “future of retail” is really about people How to lead change when everyone adapts differently Why long-term planning beats “90 day transformations” How leaders can balance confidence and humility (All Pride, No Ego) Why culture, not money, is the key to attracting top talent Lessons from Retail’s Evolution Jim reflects on his career journey from department stores and catalogs to e-commerce, omnichannel, and experiential retail. He explains how consumer behavior has changed over decades and how leaders must constantly adapt to new shopping patterns. “The word now is omnichannel… you have to be omnipresent in people’s lives, both physical and digital.” – Jim Fielding For today’s brands, that means meeting customers everywhere: in stores, online, and increasingly, through social commerce on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Leading Change with Empathy One of Jim’s most impactful insights is his train analogy for change management. Some people jump aboard immediately, others wait for the first-class car, and some hesitate on the platform. As a leader, your role is to communicate, respect different adoption speeds, and bring people along without judgment. He stresses the importance of long-term planning and over-communication, noting that adult learners often need to hear something 10–14 times before it fully lands. Leadership Without Ego In his book All Pride, No Ego, Jim emphasizes that ego is not inherently bad — it must be controlled and used wisely. He argues that today’s leaders need humility, vulnerability, and the courage to admit when they don’t have all the answers. “Leadership today is harder than ever. To succeed, you need to be self-aware, surround yourself with strong people, and create safe environments where teams thrive.” – Jim Fielding Culture Over Compensation Jim shares that attracting and retaining top talent is less about money and more about culture, environment, and feeling respected. During his time at Disney, Fox, and Claire’s, he saw firsthand how competitive the market was for talent. The leaders who created supportive environments always had an advantage. “If I create a great work environment where people feel respected and trusted, they’ll bring their best. That’s how you attract and keep the brightest talent.” – Jim Fielding Call to Action Want to learn how to align your leadership team and create a culture that supports long-term strategy? Explore our strategy execution course Learn more about working with SME Strategy About the Guest Jim Fielding is a visionary leader with decades of experience leading global brands including Disney, Claire’s, 20th Century Fox, and DreamWorks. He is the author of All Pride, No Ego, host of the Jim Fielding & Friends podcast, and a keynote speaker and consultant helping organizations build human-centered strategies. Learn more about Jim Connect with Jim on LinkedIn Follow Jim on Instagram: @HiJimFielding About the Host Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With over 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams around the world create alignment, implement successful strategies, and drive results. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn Helpful Resources & Contact: More from our online courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/ Contact our team: https://www.smestrategy.net/contact Podcast produced by: https://www.rednyne.com/