Their Style of Management
Even though they knew Geffen was smart and capable, Crosby explained that he “never thought he was that nice a guy and didn’t trust him all the time.” He said they needed “an insurance policy. A watchdog.” And that was Roberts, whom Crosby considered “more of a mensch. So he balanced things out.”
Gary Hart, David Geffen, and Warren Beatty. Photo by LGI Stock / Corbis / VCG / Getty Images
Geffen was a people person, though, and empathic enough to understand that the key to his style of management was people. “I quickly figured out that the one ability I’d better have is to create relationships,” Geffen revealed. “It isn’t about how tall you are or how good-looking you are or whether or not you can play football. It’s about whether you can create a relationship.”