What do winning teams in elite sports teach us about driving transformation in business? This week, Kevin Carmody, a senior partner and global coleader of our CFO and finance excellence practice, speaks with former McKinsey partner Jason Wright, who helped lead a transformation as-president of the Washington Commanders (and is also a former NFL running back), and is now Managing Partner & Head of Investments at Ariel Project Level, a private equity fund focused on investing in women's sports.

Jason shares how clear, measurable goals and micro-markers can accelerate culture change; why some symbolic moves matter as much as big P&L levers; and how leaders can balance staying “on the wave tops” with timely “porpoise dives” into the details. He reflects on accountability, the balance between honesty and radical transparency, and what ultimately signaled that a troubled culture at the Washington Commanders was turning the corner. The conversation also explores Jason’s lessons from public crises, and his current role investing at scale in women’s sports.

We recorded Jason and Kevin’s conversation at a gathering of transformation leaders.

Related insights:

Worst to first: What it takes to build or remake a world-class team

McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn

McKinsey Transformation insights

What do winning teams in elite sports teach us about driving transformation in business? This week, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kevin-carmody">Kevin Carmody</a>, a senior partner and global coleader of our CFO and finance excellence practice, speaks with former McKinsey partner <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongwright">Jason Wright</a>, who helped lead a transformation as-president of the Washington Commanders (and is also a former NFL running back), and is now Managing Partner &amp; Head of Investments at <a href="https://www.arielinvestments.com/article/introducing-project-level/">Ariel Project Level</a>, a private equity fund focused on investing in women's sports.
Jason shares how clear, measurable goals and micro-markers can accelerate culture change; why some symbolic moves matter as much as big P&amp;L levers; and how leaders can balance staying &ldquo;on the wave tops&rdquo; with timely &ldquo;porpoise dives&rdquo; into the details. He reflects on accountability, the balance between honesty and radical transparency, and what ultimately signaled that a troubled culture at the Washington Commanders was turning the corner. The conversation also explores Jason&rsquo;s lessons from public crises, and his current role investing at scale in women&rsquo;s sports.
We recorded Jason and Kevin&rsquo;s conversation at a gathering of transformation leaders.
Related insights:
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/worst-to-first-what-it-takes-to-build-or-remake-a-world-class-team">Worst to first: What it takes to build or remake a world-class team</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-transformation/">McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights">McKinsey Transformation insights</a>

We talk with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. We also examine the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises.

What does it take to survive in a world of constant change? More than ever, enterprises need to create strategies that can meet current needs but also adapt to future demand. A regular series of interviews with McKinsey partners and corporate executives.

Inside the Strategy Room

The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few.  But it takes bold people and courageous approaches to seize those opportunities and create value.

In each episode of our weekly podcast, we interview the world’s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them. 

The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few. &nbsp;But it takes bold people and courageous approaches to seize those opportunities and create value.
In each episode of our weekly podcast, we interview the world&rsquo;s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them.&nbsp;

Advertisement