Performance at the Limit
Business Lessons from Formula 1 Motor Racing
The dynamics of Formula 1 motor racing teams operating in a highly competitive, innovative, and fast moving environment offer powerful lessons for exploring high performance in any organization.
"Ken talks about how F1 racing teams operate,
but what he offers is a personal and organizational transformation experience."
“It has been amazing to see how Ken is able to translate some real life examples from Formula 1 to organizations and its people, and how to improve and enhance leadership, teamwork, and corporate culture on a continuous basis. Very dynamic workshops that end up opening minds and seeing things from different perspectives. Great experience.”
- Horace O. Porrás, Vice President, Latin America at American Tower Corporation
"I would like to express our sincere appreciation for your thought-provoking presentation. My family is an avid follower of the competition, but your presentation gave us an insight into the world of Formula One from an entirely different perspective. It was truly fascinating to find the parallels between racing and business. Regardless of one’s background, a plethora of important lessons can be taken away from it."
- Irisz Lippai-Nagy, CEO, AmCham Hungary
“Performance at the Limit captures the extraordinary power of analogy to create deep meaning.”
-Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, Stanford University
"For us at Unilever, Formula One has given us the opportunity to develop our winning culture and performance mindset, resulting in highly motivated individuals delivering great teamwork.”
- Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Chief Supply Officer, Unilever
Leadership ~ Teamwork ~ Corporate Culture ~ Organizational Change ~ Cross-cultural Communication
Performance at the Limit,
Business Lessons from Formula 1 Motor Racing
Performance at the Limit translates Formula 1 team leadership into high-performance principles for us in your organization. Learn how to test your own limits from the people who do it every day.
Marshall Goldsmith
The Thinkers 50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World and international bestselling author
With Ross Brawn, Managing Director, Motor Sports, Formula 1
Performance at the Limit not only inspires one to achieve excellence but combines exceptional case studies on Formula 1® leadership, teamwork and business processes with proven management practices.
This is a leadership book that articulates innovative design and system thinking needed to succeed in Formula 1® where split-second decision making, exceptional teamwork and continuous performance improvement are required.
While our business is operating hospitals, the management insights provided are well suited to our industry. Performance at the Limit is a must-read for managers and executives who want their company to not only reach the top, but remain there!
Brad Hollinger
Chairman and CEO
Vibra Healthcare, and former shareholder in the Williams F1 Team
Formula 1 is the most demonstrable example where continuous improvement and excellence in team working are critical for success. If you are not constantly improving, then you are going backwards both on the starting grid and in business today.
Andrew Lazala
CEO
Metro Trains Melbourne PTY Ltd
With Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
With the late Niki Lauda, three time F1 World Drivers Champion
With Emerson Fittipaldi, two time F1 World Drivers Champion
Now also available in Turkish and Mandarin Chinese
All Videos
All Videos
Ken Pasternak HR Americas clip
Excerpts from Ken Pasternak interview with David Clive Price in London June 28 2019
Testimonials from Hispanic Business Network
Recent Activities
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Keynote presentation on 'Business Lessons from Formula 1' to division of a major transportation manufacturer in Sweden during their in-house 'Culture Day.'
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Two-hour, in-person “Business Lessons from Formula 1” lecture to the Global Executive MBA class from University of Miami Herbert Business School.
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Virtual presentation on “Business Lessons from Formula 1” to open Day 2 of the Regional Finance Conference in Istanbul. The conference, attended by banking and finance executives from more than 20 countries, covered the Challenges and Opportunities facing banks and finance companies in emerging countries.
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Interactive Webinar for EMBA students at Tsinghua University’s Peoples Bank of China School of Finance “Belt and Road Initiative Program.” Tsinghua published the Mandarin Chinese edition of “Performance at the Limit” in 2019.
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Virtual keynote for Amcham Turkey members and affiliates, “Formula 1 in Business,” during the 2020 Istanbul GP weekend. Focus on F1 teams as examples of agile, flexible, and adaptable organizations.
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Video Interview with Dr. Abe Khoureis, key takeaways leaders can use from how Formula 1 racing teams operate effectively
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Pre-season update with Liberty Media’s Formula 1 senior management team (Chase Carey, Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds) in London
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PATL Presentation to Hispanic Business Network of entrepreneurs and small business owners in South Florida.
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Webinar on PATL business lessons to the senior management team of a major Pan-African Bank with participants sitting in a classroom in West Africa.
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Keynote in Miami for 60 top level leaders from the South American operations of a US-headquartered mining company
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2-day PATL Workshop in Austria for Managing Directors of an international group that focuses on product and system solutions based on steel and other metals in technology-intensive industries.
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Presentations in Mexico City to 120 managers of a US multinational wireless and communications infrastructure company
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Address in Budapest to member companies of American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary
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Workshop for executive management of a bank in a Balkan country focusing on leadership and creating a culture to embrace change.
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Dinner speaker for senior leaders of the US division of a European luxury car brand.
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Keynote address for 60 senior executives from Latin America countries for a US telecommunications company.
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Interactive presentation with discussion for young leaders at international not-for-profit based in the USA.
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Conference Keynote for 100 Latin American Human Resource leaders from blue chip multinational companies.
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Panelist for PATL session in for Operations Heads from a major International Financial Institution.
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F1 experience at the Williams F1 Conference Centre in the U.K. for 75 sales representatives from a US-based software business. Activities included WilliamsF1 Heritage Car Collection tour, Pit Stop Challenge changing tires on an F1 car, driving F1 racing simulators, team competition in Scalextrics racing, and watching an F1 Grand Prix race in the Ayrton Senna theater. Even Sir Frank Williams stopped by.
with the late Sir Frank Williams, Founder, WilliamsF1
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New York Times Book Review
"Through a series of examples, graphics and principles, the authors draw from Formula One team working principles - as well as the overall structure of the series - to lay out a kind of ideal methodology for business and corporate managers. This may be summed up in what they call 'The F1 Performance Pyramid' of management questions.
- Do you have a clear focus?
- Do you learn from every learning opportunity?
- Do you have a winning culture?
- Do you have the leaders and the team to make this sustainable?
The authors show that all the successful Formula One teams have each of these areas covered. Given that, it is difficult not to agree with the book's premise that just about any business or company would find the approach beneficial as it attempts to make itself into a winning "team" as well."