.0233 seconds separated first place from second in the tightest finish in the Indy 500’s 115-year history — and Team Penske was on the wrong side of it.
For most organizations, a defeat that painful would sting for weeks. For Bud Denker, President of Penske Corporation, it was another learning opportunity.
Team Penske has competed in more than 6,600 races and won 10% of them — making them the winningest team in IndyCar history.
Losing, Bud says, isn’t the exception in racing or in business — it’s the norm. Don’t overreact to it. Study it instead.
This summer, Bud is putting that same discipline to work on the biggest project of his career: leading the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the first-ever IndyCar race in the nation’s capital, down Pennsylvania Avenue on August 22–23, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
On this episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast, Bud sits down with Don Yaeger to talk about how he pulled this off, plus:
RESOURCES
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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