HBR IdeaCast What Leaders Can Learn from a Formula 1 Turnaround
134 snips
Dec 23, 2025 
Zac Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, has transformed the iconic Formula 1 team amidst financial struggles. He discusses how shifting company culture and building trust were key in overcoming past setbacks. Zac emphasizes the balance between sports integrity and entertainment, leveraging data and AI for strategic insights. He shares insights on talent recruitment and recognizing behind-the-scenes contributors. Finally, he illustrates how ambition drives success and the importance of learning from failures like the Indy 500 setback.
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People And Culture Drive Performance
- Culture and people matter more than technology in achieving sustained performance.
- Get everyone to understand their contribution to the common mission to unlock collective impact.
Leadership Shake-Up To Fix A Toxic Culture
- Zac Brown replaced his entire leadership team to change a toxic culture and rebuild trust.
- He focused on transparency, communication, and removing fear to reverse negative momentum.
Change Leadership To Shift Mindset
- Replace leaders who create a loser's mindset and retain those willing to embrace change.
- Build a debate-driven leadership team that aligns and then pushes the same energy through the organization.