Lessons from F1 for leaders to apply to their businesses

What do F1 and drivers have in common with running a company? Although they may look different, the business leaders from all sectors and sizes can learn important lessons to be better and grow their organizations, which ones?

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Managing Director of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, explains that F1 and companies are similar because of the management that is required, as well as leadership, you just have to pay attention.

“There are not many differences between the motorsport world and the business world, perhaps one of the differences is the time to make decisions because we must act quickly because the times between races are short. We must be quick to identify the problem, fix it and make decisions. That is the most difficult thing, to act quickly and make decisions in a short time, ”he said in an interview with El Economista.

He explained that another element that must be taken into account and that is very present in the automotive field is the time efficiency as well as resources, especially when living under a cost cap regime in racing.

For this, and in any business process, a key weapon is the use of technology, which allows better decisions to be made for the organization’s strategy and to plan a route to follow in the medium and long term. The objective is to prepare for the events of the present and everything that the future may bring to the business.

“Technology is part of any decision”

The leader’s skills

Analyzing the work that F1 leaders do and also as part of their career, Alunni indicated that something vital that leaders in all fields must have is the ability to create effective teams, know how to motivate them, work to strengthen them and develop the ability to be a good leader.

Among the elements that a good leader considers, he highlights not leaving things unfinished, being available to all members of the team, knowing how to develop the appropriate response to situations that arise and learning to make the best decisions in the indicated time.

Another vital element is communication. In the automobile field, such as F1, communication must be effective and direct to relate to the team, a second can make the difference in the expected result. In companies, this principle must be the same, although communication processes are not as fast as in races, they must be carried out in the shorter time possible and clear.

He added that it is also possible to work on creating specific committees or groups to address problems or needs, which is important for everyone and allows people to be involved in the project, making them feel part of the organization.

“Communication is very important because that way everyone is aligned with the same vision and the company’s values”.

Human skills, the most important

Although the automotive field may seem very technical and require only specialized knowledge in it, for Alunni Bravi, when choosing the people with whom to collaborate, beyond looking at their skills and work history, it is more important to analyze the soft skills because that would make the difference in a good leader and collaborator in any field.

“You have to have the ability to work in a team, to react quickly, to be available to people and to inspire.”

Another quality that he considers essential and that he has learned throughout his career is modesty, have vision and be open to learn from anyone because everyone has something to contribute and instill. In the same way, the ability to adapt must be developed above all, not always following the same direction but changing it according to the priorities of the moment.

“To today’s leaders: do introspection about your actions and get out of your comfort zone, that is very important and for this it is useful to listen to other experiences to make your own way”, he concluded.