5 Leadership Principles to Win at a Cut-Throat Business: F1

From 1993 to 2003, I dedicated myself professionally to motorsport. That’s why I was thrilled the other day to read Toto Wolff (CEO of Mercedes F1) discussing leadership.

Here are 5 lessons from Wolff on leading teams in the world’s most pressure-per-minute business, F1:

1. It doesn’t matter which sector you are in. It’s always about people.

“I don’t manage racing cars. I manage people who manage racing cars. Each team member has hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties. It’s important for me to understand what they are, and know what drives a person.”

2. One key is demanding from yourself (and others) a high standard in everything you do.

When Wolff first visited the team’s factory in Brackley (UK), he entered the lobby and sat down to wait for the team director (whom he would end up replacing):

“There was a crumpled Daily Mail newspaper from the previous week and two used paper coffee cups on the table. I went to the office to meet with the then-director and at the end of our conversation I told him: ‘I am very excited to work with you. But I’ll tell you one thing: that reception doesn’t ‘smell’ like ‘F1’. That…