In the realm of world-class entrepreneurship, the chance to glean golden nuggets from a highly successful innovator is an opportunity not to be missed. Hearing inspiring insights from two motivational leaders is akin to viewing a tandem masterclass from a front-row seat.
In November 2024, Rokt co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (or CEO) Bruce Buchanan hosted Red Bull Racing Team’s Christian Horner at Rokt’s New York City offices. As the Team Principal, Horner manages all aspects of the team’s performance. Rokt shares the Red Bull Racing Team vision and is an enthusiastic team sponsor.
Christian Horner’s High-Adrenaline Backstory
As this intriguing Fireside Chat begins, Rokt CEO Bruce Buchanan notes that most Rokt team members have limited exposure to the Rokt-Red Bull Racing Team partnership. Therefore, Bruce Buchanan invited Christian Horner to share valuable perspectives on his progression through the racing industry.
Christian Horner’s Lifelong Racing Passion
The UK’s Christian Horner was obsessed with speed and racing from a young age. Racing-themed American television series such as The Dukes of Hazzard, and daredevil Evel Knievel’s performances, were among Christian’s favorite shows.
At age 12, Christian Horner’s racing career began. “I started racing when I was 12 years of age in go karts in the UK. I progressed up through the ranks.” Next, a Renault scholarship prepared him for the world of auto racing.
The Daunting Formula 1 Arena
In 1993, Christian Horner landed an impressive role. “By 1993, I became the test and reserve driver for the Lotus Formula 1 team.” Christian knew he was up against some stiff competition. He also learned of the funding and logistics concerns inherent in managing a viable Formula 1 racing team.
Taking on the challenge, Christian Horner switched from driving Formula 1 cars to managing a racing team. “So I decided to retire from driving at the age of 25 and focus on running this team. I built that up and won the championship for 3 years.”
Becoming the Youngest Team Principal
In a fortuitous move, Red Bull Racing’s owner expressed interest in purchasing the Jaguar team. Christian Horner’s well-known successes led Red Bull’s owner to invite the 31-year-old manager to become the Team Principal. “Look, I want to change things up here. Why don’t you come and get involved? That was 20 years ago now. So I started at 31 years of age, and I don’t look a day older than when I started,” Christian Horner quipped.
Christian Horner has transformed Red Bull Racing into a world-class operation. Every talented employee shares the team’s vision, driving incremental wins that often lead to victory. And similar to Bruce Buchanan’s Rokt, Red Bull Racing hires industry-leading talent and prioritizes an energizing work culture.
Rokt and Red Bull Racing Embrace Team Empowerment
As highly successful business leaders, Rokt’s Bruce Buchanan and Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner agree on one foundational principle. Cultivating a people-focused company culture, and empowering team members to excel, set the stage for limitless achievement.
Rokt’s Uplifting People-Focused Culture
First, Bruce Buchanan describes Rokt’s emphasis on building its team’s collective capabilities. “We’ve got our senior leader group in. We bring them in every quarter, and we spend that time primarily talking about people.
“We say that if the level of capability in the organization is not staying ahead of where the organization is ─ we won’t continue to grow. We have a saying here: ‘We win or we learn,’ which is putting a positive spin on it,” he remarks.
Red Bull Racing’s “Hands Off” Approach
Christian Horner talks about the importance of hiring talented people and avoiding micromanagement. “Well, people are your biggest asset, as you well know. For me, I think the most fundamental thing is building a culture where people feel empowered.
I’m not an engineer, and I’ve never been in a management course in my life, but I’m a great believer in empowering people and allowing them to do their jobs. There’s no point in me employing the best engineers in the world and then telling them how to do their jobs,” Christian Horner emphasizes.
Together, Rokt and Red Bull Racing integrate a paradigm centered around team members’ empowerment and growth. Both dynamic organizations prioritize top talent, offering support that drives ongoing innovation.
Navigating the Team Through Challenges
Companies of all stripes face ongoing challenges. Regardless of the source, here are three strategies that can together help turn the situation around.
Share a Positive Team Vision
An effective leader understands that successful navigation involves a clear vision and a concrete roadmap for achieving it. The leader should share the goal(s) and strategic plan with team members. Consistent messaging, and ongoing goal support, can facilitate success.
Prioritize Transparent Communication
When faced with a challenge, a company’s communications with employees influence the situation’s outcome. Rather than keep the issue under wraps, company leaders should consult with internal advisors before confidently addressing employees. A senior leader should explain the situation and present an optimistic plan.
Celebrate Wins of Every Magnitude
To maintain team member morale, and to keep moving forward, leaders should celebrate both big and small wins. Meeting a tough-to-achieve deadline, or even slightly improving a sales metric, are good examples. Celebrating these wins can help improve team members’ productivity and encourage company growth.
How Rokt and Red Bull Racing Approach Challenges
Each highly successful leader approaches challenges in a distinctive way. Here, Rokt’s Bruce Buchanan and Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner discuss their respective challenge navigation strategies.
Bruce Buchanan’s Insights
Rokt CEO Bruce Buchanan reflects on the past several weeks’ challenges. He says Rokt prioritizes accountability in every form. “[I was] talking about getting interviewed over the weekend and talking about the challenges over the last few weeks.
“What was most amazing was the team came to [a colleague] a couple of weeks ago and said,’ We found the problem. We made a mistake.’ There was this real sense of humility, the ability not only to have that constructive dialogue but to own the problem,” Bruce Buchanan remarks.
Christian Horner’s Insights
“I think you’ve got to have a vision, but you’ve also got to be in today as well. I think the most important thing is to stick together and work as a team…focus on the basics and focus on the things that you can control and not worry about the things that you can’t.
“I think that accepting that you are going to make mistakes [is key]. We’re all human beings. I think the most important thing is to learn from them. Also, [it’s important] to support the people as well,” Christian Horner emphasizes.
An Unconventional Red Bull Racing Challenge
Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner easily identifies the organization’s biggest upcoming challenge. “For us, for sure, [it’s] producing our own engine…The most logical thing to do as a subsidiary of an energy drinks manufacturer is to make your own engine.
“That’s been a challenge, taking a start-up [and] putting the facilities in place. It’s given people a chance, given people the opportunity and doing it in a culture in a way that we’ve applied on the chassis side…now to do it on the engine side…It’s a race against the clock. We start manufacturing the engines in 2026,” he summarizes.
