Across Asia, founder-led companies create outsized value compared with professional CEOs. Is this edge something founders are born with or something they build? In this episode, host Jennifer Chiang speaks with Cheryl Lim, a McKinsey partner based in the Kuala Lumpur office and co-author of Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia’s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs.
Drawing on interviews with founders across the region, Lim reflects on the traits that recur regardless of industry or background: curiosity, a commitment to relationship-building, and the ability to hold a big-picture vision and daily execution in mind at once.
Shapers and Founders: The Untold Stories of Asia’s Extraordinary Owner-CEOs reveals the leadership strategies behind Asia’s highest-performing entrepreneur-led companies. Deriving insights from hours of interviews and rigorous empirical research, this book reveals the core behaviors and governing mindsets that have powered Asia’s rise. To find out more and preorder, visit www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/shapers-and-founders.

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