How do founders keep the entrepreneurial spirit that built their companies while adding the structure needed to grow? In this episode, host Jennifer Chiang speaks with Gautam Kumra, chairman of McKinsey Asia and co-founder of the McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence, about his new book, Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia’s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs, co-authored with Cheryl Lim and Joydeep Sengupta. 

Kumra reflects on the ways owner-CEOs professionalize without creating bureaucracy so that they can scale while staying nimble. He also explores how founders approach succession, what it takes to build an institution that outlasts them, and the careful calibration behind their boldest moves.  

Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia’s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs reveals the leadership strategies behind Asia’s highest-performing entrepreneur-led companies. Drawing on hours of interviews and rigorous empirical research, this book uncovers the core behaviors and governing mindsets that have powered Asia’s rise. To find out more and order, visit www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/shapers-and-founders. 

How do founders keep the entrepreneurial spirit that built their companies while adding the structure needed to grow? In this episode, host Jennifer Chiang speaks with Gautam Kumra, chairman of McKinsey Asia and co-founder of the McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence, about his new book, Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia&rsquo;s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs, co-authored with Cheryl Lim and Joydeep Sengupta.&nbsp;
Kumra reflects on the ways owner-CEOs professionalize without creating bureaucracy so that they can scale while staying nimble. He also explores how founders approach succession, what it takes to build an institution that outlasts them, and the careful calibration behind their boldest moves. &nbsp;
Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia&rsquo;s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs reveals the leadership strategies behind Asia&rsquo;s highest-performing entrepreneur-led companies. Drawing on hours of interviews and rigorous empirical research, this book uncovers the core behaviors and governing mindsets that have powered Asia&rsquo;s rise. To find out more and order, visit <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/shapers-and-founders">www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/shapers-and-founders</a>.&nbsp;

Asia's standing in the world has changed and it is clear that where the focus was once on how quickly the region would rise, the reality is now all about how Asia will lead. In the Future of Asia  Podcast, we invite leaders from across the region to discuss the power, agility and ambition of Asia and to shed light on what kind of leader Asia will be, and what this means for governments and businesses everywhere.

Future of Asia Podcast features conversations with leaders from across the region to discuss the forces, opportunities and challenges that are shaping the future of Asia.