F1 Legend Toto Wolff on Leading Through Big Wins — and Crushing Losses

Managing a team in good times is one skill set. But how do you motivate people when things aren’t going well?

Toto Wolff is the team principle and CEO of the Mercedes team, one of the most successful teams in the history of Formula One racing. But when the team’s eight-year winning streak unexpectedly ended, Wolff had to adjust his leadership style to get them back on track.

“This year, I got it wrong on several occasions, and probably to an effect where my control freakishness and trying to solve it myself annoyed some of the people that were actually in charge of the science,” Wolff admits. “There are certain areas where I have to just dial myself back a little bit and trust.”

He tells Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse about the difference between directing and leading, and how to help a struggling team learn from mistakes and move forward.

Key topics include: leadership, managing people, organizational culture, motivating people, and leadership qualities.

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