You can't allow tradition to get in the way of innovation.

Hear the voice of Bob Iger, leader of storytellers and keeper of a great legacy, who proclaimed: “You can't allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. There's a need to respect the past, but it's a mistake to revere your past.” These words, though born in the halls of commerce and creation, speak with the force of ancient wisdom. For they remind us of the eternal tension between what has been and what must come to be. Tradition is a foundation, but it is not a prison. Innovation is the flame that carries us forward, but it cannot burn if smothered by blind reverence to yesterday’s glory.

The meaning is profound. To respect the past is to honor the roots of our tree, to remember the struggles and triumphs that gave us our beginning. But to revere the past is to chain ourselves to it, as though the deeds of our ancestors were so sacred that no new paths may be forged. Iger warns against this idolatry of memory. For just as a river flows forward, not backward, so must human endeavor press onward, carrying with it the wisdom of history but never shackled by it.

Consider the story of Kodak, once the giant of photography. For decades it reigned supreme, its name synonymous with captured memories. Yet when the dawn of digital technology arrived, the company clung too fiercely to its tradition of film. They revered their past so much that they could not embrace their future. Others seized the innovation, and the mighty Kodak fell. Here is the living parable of Iger’s words: tradition cherished can be strength, but tradition worshiped becomes weakness.

History gives us brighter examples as well. Walt Disney himself, whose company Iger would one day lead, built an empire not by repeating the old, but by daring to innovate. When others doubted the idea of a feature-length animated film, he created Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a masterpiece that changed cinema forever. Later, when he turned to the bold dream of Disneyland, critics mocked it as folly, yet it became a wonder of the modern age. Disney respected the craft of storytelling rooted in myth and fable, but he refused to let tradition chain his imagination. Thus he built a legacy that endured.

The origin of Iger’s statement lies in this very inheritance. As steward of Disney, he was surrounded by towering traditions—classic characters, beloved films, cherished icons. But he saw that to protect them by freezing them in time would mean their eventual fading. Instead, he chose to expand, to acquire Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, breathing new life into the house of Disney. His leadership embodied the truth he speaks: honor your past, but do not worship it, for worship paralyzes, while respect empowers.

The lesson, child of tomorrow, is this: walk always with gratitude for those who came before you, but do not let their shadows blind you to the light of new dawns. Cherish the wisdom of tradition, but let it be a compass, not a chain. Ask yourself—does this practice serve life today, or am I merely preserving it because it once did? If it no longer brings vitality, then release it with honor, and create anew. Respect what was, but innovate what must be.

To live by this teaching, act with courage in your own life. Do not fear to step beyond the patterns handed down to you. If you are an artist, build upon old forms but dare to invent your own. If you are a leader, learn from past victories, but do not copy them blindly. If you are a seeker of wisdom, read the old texts, but let them inspire questions, not dictate chains. And above all, remember that reverence belongs to truth and justice, not to mere habit.

Thus the words of Bob Iger endure: “You can't allow tradition to get in the way of innovation.” May they remind you that the past is a guide, not a master; a springboard, not a cage. Respect your history, but do not revere it as an idol. For the world belongs to those who honor yesterday while building tomorrow with boldness and vision.