How Leaders Lead with David Novak #249: Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing – Performance is everyone’s job
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Jul 24, 2025 Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing and a former race car driver, shares his insights on building high-performance teams. He emphasizes that clarity and inclusivity are essential for success, discussing how exclusivity previously hurt the brand. Zak dives into leadership lessons from racing, the explosive growth of Formula One's audience, and the importance of teamwork and technology at McLaren. He also shares strategies for making split-second decisions and fostering long-term partnerships in a competitive environment.
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Zak's Racing Passion Origin
- Zak Brown fell in love with racing at the 1981 Long Beach Grand Prix as a 10-year-old boy.
- He vividly remembers the experience and even still keeps the race program from that day.
Netflix Boosts F1's Audience
- Drive to Survive and Netflix significantly expanded Formula One's fan base, especially among women and youth in North America.
- The sport's growth in those demographics marks a major shift from previous limited engagement.
F1's Tech and Data Depth
- Formula One involves massive technology and data, pulling terabytes at race weekends.
- Explaining such complexity at the right level to fans can deepen their appreciation of the sport.
