Life’s Work

Jimmie Johnson began racing small motorcycles on dirt tracks at age five. By 2002 he’d made it to NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series, where he eventually won six championships (putting him just behind Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who won seven each). Off the track Johnson, now 40, competes in half-marathons and triathlons.

Interviewed by Daniel McGinn

HBR: In NASCAR, how much of winning can be attributed to the car versus the driver? Johnson: People who aren’t familiar with racing don’t realize that NASCAR is a team sport. I drive for Hendrick Motorsports, which has four cars on the racetrack. There’s the same equipment among top teams. All the drivers can drive, and all the crews can build great cars. The real magic is in the chemistry and collaboration between the driver, the team, and the crew chief, who is like a head coach in other sports. I have to verbalize the sensations I feel in the car, and the team has to absorb and digest that information and make the right changes. How do you instill a sense of teamwork when most of the glory goes to the…

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Harvard Business Review (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2016

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