麦肯锡 -塑造者与创始人：规模化发展初心不褪色 Shapers and Founders Scaling without losing soul

October2026

McKinsey

&Company

ShapersandFounders:

Scalingwithoutlosingsoul

AcloserlookatAsia'ssuccessfulfounder-CEOsrevealshowtheyhavescaledtheirbusinesseswithoutsacrificingtheirentrepreneurialspirit.

AsthefocusonAsia’sdynamiceconomygrows,sotoohasthebusinessworld’sfascinationwiththeregion’smostsuccessfulentrepreneursandbusinessbuilders.

ShapersandFounders:TheUntoldStoriesofAsia’sExtraordinaryOwner-CEOs,anewbookbyMcKinsey,illustrateshowretainingtheirentrepreneurialedgeandbringingtherightpeopleintotheorganizationhasallowedthemtomanagethedifficulttaskofcultivatingthespeed,

principles-baseddecisiveness,boldthinking,andchallengermindsetthatareneededinthemodernmarketplace.

InthisepisodeoftheMcKinseyFutureofAsiaPodcastseries,JenniferChiangtalkstooneoftheauthorsofthebook,GautamKumra.Aneditedversionoftheconversationfollows.

JenniferChiang:Whoisthisbookwrittenfor?

GautamKumra:Itwillberelevanttovariousaudiences.Astheworld’scenterofgravityshifts

towardAsia,there’salotofinterestinunderstandingtheregion,whichconsistsofafragmentedsetofheterogeneousmarkets.First,aWesternaudiencemightlikeaglimpseintowhatittakestocreatevalueoutofAsia.So,it’sgoingtoberelevanttoWesternleaders,especiallyCEOs

competingwithAsianowner-CEOsandwhowanttocollaboratewiththem.Itwillalsobe

relevanttostudentsandotherleadersbecausetherearelessonsabouthowtoleadasuccessfulandfulfillingbusinesslifeinAsia.

JenniferChiang:Thebookdiscussessixbehaviorsthatowner-CEOspractice.Howdidtheymanagetostaytruetotheirconvictionsandambitions?Whatwastheirperspectiveonscalingwithoutlosingsoul?

GautamKumra:Theyrecognizethathavinganentrepreneurialcoremadethemsuccessful.Astheyscaletheirbusinesses,theyrecognizetheneedtobringinmoreprofessionaltalentandtoputmorestructureinplace.However,theywantthemuscleofentrepreneurshipwithout

creatingbureaucraticcomplacency.

AnexampleiswhatSanjivBajajhasdoneatBajajFinserv.Outofvirtuallynothing,andina

relativelyshortperiodoftime,theycreatedoneofIndia’smostvaluablediversifiedfinancial

conglomerates.Sanjivtalkspassionatelyaboutaccountableempowerment,constantlybreakingtheorganizationintosmallerteams,delegatingdecision-makingdowntothecustomer-facingfrontline,andpushingbackagainstovercentralization.Hissimpleyetnimblepeople

managementandperformanceevaluationallowscalingwithoutbureaucracy.

Anotherexample,MukeshAmbani,isknownforsayingthescaleoftheirambitionismorethanthesizeoftheegosonhisteam.Thereisnoroomforpolitics.Theycollaborateacrossfunctionsandsilostofeellikeasmallnimblecompany.

JenniferChiang:CEO-foundersinAsiahaveachievedgreatsuccessinasomewhatcounterintuitiveway,whichIfindfascinating.Whydoyouthinkthatis?

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GautamKumra:Whatdifferentiatesthemistheirabilitytooperateinthetraditional,hierarchy-andconsensus-drivenAsianmarketecosystems,yetmovewithspeedanddecisiveness,whichisnotaneasytaskwhenscaling.Inthebook,wediscusstheirabilitytoscalewithoutlosingtheirentrepreneurialcore,whichinvolvesbeingprinciples-based,speed-anddecisiveness-oriented,boldinthinking,havingachallengermindset,andrecognizingtheneedforbringingprofessional[talent]intothecompany,too.

Ofcoursetheylistentoallconstituencies,butthentheymovefastanddecisively,beingboldbutnotreckless.Inmyview,alltheseelementstogetherformtheentrepreneurialcoreofwhothesesuccessfulfounder-CEOsare.Astheyscaletheirorganizationsandneedtobringin

professionals,itcanobviouslybechallengingnottolosethatentrepreneurialcore.So,forthemitisveryimportanttomanagethisconstanttension,nomatterhowbigthebusiness.Andthat'swhywetalkinthisbookabouthowtoscalewithoutlosingthatsoul.

JenniferChiang:WouldprofessionalCEOswhorunverylargeestablishedorganizationsorevenaspiringCEOsbeabletogaininsightsfromthisbook?Whataresomeobstaclestheymightfaceintheircareersascomparedtoowner-CEOs?

GautamKumra:IthinkmanyexcellentprofessionalCEOsalreadyembodyanumberofthese

principles.Forexample,theirapproachtoinnovation.ManyexcellentCEOsaroundtheworldwillsimultaneouslydrivecontinuousimprovementandlookforopportunitiestodisruptthemarket.One[difference]isthelengthofthetimeframe,becausewhenyou’reanowner-CEOnotabouttosellyourcompany,youcanalmostthinkinperpetuity,includingaboutthenextgeneration.

That’shardtoreplicateifyou’reaprofessionalCEOhiredonacontractwithaspecificterm.

Thesecondthingthatisnoteasytoreplicateisthespeedofdecision-making,because

professionalCEOshavestakeholders.Anymajorconsequentialdecisionmustbeendorsedbythemanagementteamandapprovedbytheboard,whileamajorityshareholderorowner-CEOisoftenabletocarrythatkindofdecisionmuchfasterbecauseoftheirposition—their

ownership.Thebestowner-CEOswilldrawgreatideasfromtheboard,butthey’renotdependentontheboardasmuchasaprofessionalCEOis.

JenniferChiang:IntheAsianbusinesslandscape,family-ownedbusinessesareprevalent,makingsuccessionimportant.Whatisyouropiniononthis?

GautamKumra:Owner-CEOshaveauniquechallenge.Theymustmanagethetransitionof

theirbusiness,butalsomanagethetransitioninrelationtotheirfamily.ProfessionalCEOsdon’thavetoworryasmuchaboutthefamilyaspect.Ithinkallthefoundersweinterviewedhavea

deepdesiretobuildalegacythatwilloutlastthem.Lookingforwhowillreplacethemcanbecomplicated.ItcaneitherbesomeoneinthefamilyorlookingforaprofessionalCEO.Eachoptioncomeswithitsownuniquepros,cons,andchallenges.Unlikeprofessionalsetups,thetransitionfromanowner-CEOtothenextgenerationusuallytakesmuchlonger.

Thenthereisasecond,largelyparallel,stageabouthowtobuildaninstitutionthatwouldoutlastafounder.Itsmanyelementsincludegovernanceanddevelopingapipelineofmanagersand

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potentialboardmembers,aculturethatcanstandmultiplegenerations,andagood

performanceethicwithclarityarounddecision-makingandperformancemanagement.

JenniferChiang:Youhaveknownmanyofthefoundersinterviewedforthisbookforalongtime.Duringtheresearch,didyougainanynewknowledgeaboutthem?

GautamKumra:Afewthingssurprisedme.Ithoughtsomeofthemwerebigrisktakers

becausethey’reentrepreneursandthey’vedonesomeunusualthings.Forexample,MukeshAmbaniput$25billionintobuildingJio,whichwasacapital-intensivebettogetintoanewindustryatatimewhentheyhadnopositionin[thatsortof]business.

However,whenyouasktheseowner-CEOsabouttakingsuchbigrisks,theydon’tthinkitwasreckless.Theysaytheyhadthoughtthroughtheworst-casescenario.Oneintervieweesaid,“IfIdon’tlosemycapital,I’mwillingtolosesomeprofit.”Anothersaid,“I’mwillingtolosesome

money,butI’mnevergoingtolosemyreputation.”Whenlisteningtotheirstories,IfeltIwas

talkingtopeoplewhohaveamuchmorenuancedandcalibratedsenseofrisktaking.Theyarenottakingrecklessrisks.Theyknowtheycansurvivetheworstcase.Iwassurprisedaboutthewaytheythinkaboutthat.

Iwasalsosurprisedbytheiramazingabilitytogetextraordinaryperformanceoutofseeminglyordinarypeople,andthattheyarenotpersuadedbywhatIwouldcall“resumevalue”—the

institutionsyouwentto,youracademicpedigree—typicallyhowmultinationalswouldhire

people.Frankly,theowner-CEOsarelookingforacan-doattitude.Oneofthemsaid,“Ihireforcharacter,notcompetence.”

I'malsoamazedbytheirrelentlessdrivetobuildtheirbusinessandbecomebetteratwhattheydo.Forexample,MukeshAmbaniatReliancehastaken[hisfather’sbusiness]toacompletely

differentlevel.Helearnedfromhisfatherthatit’snotaboutcreatingbillionsofdollarsfor

yourself,buttocreateanimpactonbillionsofpeopleinIndia.Thatscaleofambitionreally

struckme,aswellasthetransformationoftheirportfolio.TheyhavestrategicallyadvancedthecompanytoalignwiththeneedsofIndia.Goingfromcapital-intensiveoilandgasbusinessestoinvestinginconsumerbusinesses,thennewenergybusinesses,andnowembracingAI,they

haveshownthatevenelephantscandance,andatabigscale.Theybalancethisambitionwith

constantandstrongpurpose-ledshort-termexecution.TheyembodythevalueoftimeandhavemanagedtogetextraordinaryperformancebymakingpeoplefeelpartofthefamilyandpartoftheRelianceecosystemofmakingtheimpossiblepossible.

JenniferChiang:Ithinkoneoftheextraordinaryexperiencesofresearchingandwritingthisbookwasgoingbehindthescenesintothemindsetsoftheseextraordinaryleaders.

GautamKumra:IhadthegoodfortunewhenIstartedmycareeratMcKinseymorethanthreedecadesagotoworkwiththeseowner-CEOs.Ifoundthattheyareactuallyquiterelationshipdriven.Theyrecognizethat,attheendoftheday,companiesdon’tdobusiness,peopledo.

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Andtheirabilitytomakeadecisionfastandactonitisverysatisfyingtoworkwith.It’sbeenafascinatingjourneytoobservehowthesepeopledoit.AndIthinkmanyoftheirprinciplesarealsorelevantforusasownersatMcKinsey.

JenniferChiang:Collatingtheresearchforthebookenabledus[to]discoverthattheyareoneofthemostresilientgroupsofpeopleandarewillingandabletodealwithambiguity.Ithinkweareonthecuspofacompletetransformationofthewaywedobusiness.Thebookpresentsthewisdomtheseextraordinaryfounder-CEOshaveaccumulatedovermanyyears,andprovidesaglimpseintotheirviewoftheworld.Ithinkit’llbeveryrewardingtowatchthemnavigatetheir

organizationsintothefutureformanyyearstocome.

GautamKumra:Youraiseaveryimp