In elite team sports, where marginal gains can mean the difference between success and failure, leadership plays a critical role. A striking example of this is the McLaren Formula 1 team’s resurgence in recent years leading to them winning the Formula 1 constructor’s championship in 2024. In a recent interview, Zak Brown (CEO of McLaren) highlights how leadership from him and the Team Principal, Andrea Stella, can create a winning culture culture. This post highlights the key leadership lessons from the interview with Zak.
In this post:
The importance of culture in driving performance
Culture is the invisible force that defines how work gets done. In high-performing organisations, culture aligns behaviours with organisational goals, promotes engagement, and drives innovation. Leaders who intentionally build and sustain a strong culture can unlock extraordinary results.
However, changing culture is difficult to do!
The cultural shift driving McLaren’s success
When Andrea Stella took over as Team Principal of McLaren, he inherited a team that had struggled for years to meet expectations. The team had not won the Formula 1 constructor’s championship since 1998.
Recognising that technical expertise alone was insufficient, he prioritised reshaping the team’s culture. At the heart of this transformation was a commitment to openness, collaboration, and psychological safety — principles that are now embedded in the team’s DNA.
Stella actively encouraged team members to voice their opinions, challenge ideas, and contribute to decisions. This approach ensured that everyone felt heard and valued, breaking down silos and fostering a sense of collective ownership.
Perhaps most importantly, Stella eradicated the toxic “blame culture” that had stifled creativity and risk-taking. Mistakes were reframed as learning opportunities, creating an environment where innovation could flourish. By embedding these cultural principles, McLaren reignited its competitive edge, proving that culture is not just a “nice-to-have” but a cornerstone of high performance.
Best practices for high-performance cultures
Build Psychological Safety
A strong culture ensures employees feel safe to speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of blame or retribution. Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety is the number one predictor of team performance. In environments like McLaren, this safety is essential for uncovering new ideas and solving complex problems.
What McLaren Does:
- The team has a policy of “failing fast and learning quickly,” allowing them to experiment with new approaches without fear of punishment.
- Stella fosters an environment where team members can challenge assumptions. For example, during race debriefs, every voice is heard, from senior engineers to junior mechanics. This ensures that all perspectives contribute to problem-solving.
Tie Feedback to Shared Goals
High-performing cultures align everyone around a shared purpose. At McLaren, every team member—from engineers to strategists—understands their role in delivering results on the track. This alignment fosters a sense of collective mission and reduces internal conflict.
Feedback in high-performing cultures is constructive, focused on behaviours, and aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
What McLaren Does:
- During technical reviews, feedback is directly linked to performance goals, such as improving pit stop times or refining car setups. Stella ensures the discussion is framed around achieving better outcomes rather than assigning blame for failures.
- After the 2023 British Grand Prix, where McLaren achieved a strong result, the team held a detailed review of their performance. Constructive feedback was focused on how to replicate their success in future races.
Empower Employees Through Autonomy
When employees feel ownership over their work, they are more invested in its success. A positive culture nurtures this sense of accountability by empowering individuals to make decisions and take responsibility for outcomes.
Empowered teams are more engaged and innovative. Leaders must trust their employees to make decisions and take ownership.
What McLaren Does:
- Stella empowers engineers to take ownership of their car development projects. For instance, the team responsible for aerodynamic upgrades has the autonomy to suggest and test bold ideas without needing excessive approvals.
- During races, Stella trusts his strategy team to make split-second calls, reinforcing their confidence and accountability.
Eliminate a Blame Culture
High-performing organisations view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow, not reasons to punish.
What McLaren Does:
- When a critical error occurred in a pit stop during the 2023 season, Stella publicly emphasised that the team, not the individual, was responsible. The focus was on analysing the process and implementing changes to prevent future mistakes.
- McLaren’s debrief sessions are structured to identify root causes collaboratively, encouraging team members to contribute solutions rather than assigning fault.
Foster Collaboration Across Teams
Collaboration between departments drives innovation and ensures alignment with shared objectives.
What McLaren Does:
- The engineering and race strategy teams work closely to integrate on-track data into car development. For instance, insights from tyre performance during races are fed directly into design iterations for the following season.
- Stella encourages cross-functional meetings where different departments, such as aerodynamics and manufacturing, share ideas and challenges, leading to more holistic problem-solving.
Recognise and Celebrate Achievements
Recognition reinforces desired behaviours and keeps morale high. Creating a culture of recognition and appreciation is fundamental to keeping employees motivated, engaged, and productive.
What McLaren Does:
- After achieving a podium finish at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, Stella made sure to celebrate the contributions of every team member, from the drivers to the factory staff.
- Individual achievements, such as an innovative engineering solution or a flawless pit stop, are highlighted during team meetings and rewarded publicly.
How Business Leaders Can Apply These Lessons
he cultural principles driving McLaren’s success are applicable across industries. Here’s how leaders can adopt these best practices:
Promote psychological safety
- Hold regular team meetings where all employees are encouraged to share ideas.
- Create anonymous channels for feedback to ensure everyone feels safe to contribute.
Deliver constructive feedback
- Train managers to focus feedback on behaviours rather than individuals.
- Tie feedback to shared goals and frame it as a tool for growth.
Empower your team
- Delegate decision-making to employees closest to the work.
- Provide the tools and training needed for employees to take ownership of their tasks.
Eliminate the fear of failure
- Share stories of how past failures have led to successes.
- Reward teams for innovative efforts, even if they don’t always produce immediate results.
Foster cross-functional collaboration
- Organise joint workshops or brainstorming sessions between departments.
- Use technology platforms to streamline communication and collaboration.
Celebrate wins, big and small
- Acknowledge individual and team achievements regularly through public recognition or small rewards.
- Celebrate milestones collectively to reinforce a sense of unity and purpose.
In conclusion
The McLaren Formula 1 team’s resurgence under Andrea Stella underscores the transformative power of culture. By promoting psychological safety, fostering collaboration, and delivering constructive feedback, Stella has built a team capable of extraordinary performance.
Andrea Stella’s approach demonstrates that leadership and culture are inseparable. Leaders set the tone by modelling the behaviours they want to see and by embedding cultural principles into daily operations. At McLaren, Stella’s commitment to openness, empowerment, and collaboration has not only driven results on the track but also created an environment where employees are engaged and motivated.
For business leaders, the lesson is clear: culture is not a luxury but a strategic imperative. By intentionally shaping a culture that values empowerment, learning, and shared success, leaders can unlock their teams’ full potential. Whether in the boardroom or on the racetrack, the right culture drives not just results—but lasting success.