#249: Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing – Performance is everyone’s job

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak Leadership

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management

4.8 • 596 Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You can hire great people and set bold goals … yet still fall short. Why? Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, knows the answer. And it has less to do with talent, and more to do with something most leaders overlook. This episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a high-performance team—and why clarity might be your most powerful tool. You’ll also learn: Why exclusivity was hurting the brand—and what fixed it The mindset you need if you want long-term partnerships How to make split-second decisions (with wisdom straight from the pit!) What most leaders miss about gathering real input Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Every person at McLaren knows how they contribute to putting performance on the race car,
0:06.8	have a very much a performance mindset that everything you do at McLaren leads to performance on the race car.
0:13.2	You know, you can have talented people and have the right strategy, yet still come up short.
0:17.6	Today, we're digging into why that is and how to fix it.
0:22.4	Welcome to How Leaders Lead. I'm David David Novak and every week I have conversations with the very best leaders in the world to help you
0:27.3	become the best leader that you can be. My guest today is Zach Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing.
0:32.9	Now, McLaren is an iconic brand and their racing division is one in Formula One's most popular and successful
0:38.9	teams. In fact, they're the only team to have won racing's triple crown of the Indy 500,
0:44.9	the 24-hour Lamonts, and the Monaco Grand Prix. And you know, it's funny. When we think about
0:52.1	winning a race, we think about one guy on the podium, spraying champagne everywhere, but Zach is leading a team of 1,300 people.
1:01.0	And he wants each and every one of them to feel connected to that big mission, whether they're sitting in the driver's seat or sitting in the HR department.
1:09.7	Now, if you want to win as a team, you've got to make sure everyone knows how their work contributes
1:14.2	to the outcome.
1:15.5	You're about to hear exactly how Zach does it.
1:18.2	And trust me, his path of leadership is not what you'd expect.
1:22.2	His story alone is worth to listen.
1:24.7	So here's my conversation with my good friend and soon to be yours,
1:28.4	Zach Brown.
1:34.4	You know, you've got one of the most interesting jobs in the world, you know, running a Formula One team.
1:40.9	But I want to start with the fan in you, you know. Just what makes you a fan? What's the moment that
1:46.3	you first fell in love with racing? I remember it like it was yesterday and I carry it with me
1:52.3	today and as far as not only my fandom for the sport, but how I personally engage with the fans and
	...

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