The High Performance Podcast Zak Brown: The Deal That Kept McLaren Alive and How I Rebuilt the Team (E379)
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Nov 17, 2025 Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, shares his inspiring journey from a rebellious Californian to a leading voice in motorsport. He discusses the turnaround of McLaren, emphasizing the importance of culture, communication, and difficult conversations in leadership. Zak reveals insights on managing internal dynamics between drivers, the strategy behind financial recovery, and transforming a struggling team into a cohesive powerhouse. His commitment to loyalty and humility shines through as he reflects on the challenges that tested his leadership under pressure.
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Leadership Over Hardware
- McLaren's problems were less about engineers or engines and more about lack of leadership and vision.
- Zak rebuilt momentum by creating stable leadership and a clear direction.
The Deal That Kept McLaren Alive
- McLaren was losing about $125 million a season and needed roughly $185 million to execute its turnaround.
- Owners chose to sell a minority stake to fully fund the plan rather than shrink the team's ambitions.
Fix Leadership First
- Assess leaders for pace, passion, creativity, and willingness to do things differently.
- Replace or promote people until the leadership team all row in the same direction.