Great leaders aren’t born—they’re built. Sternfels introduces the concept of the “Leadership Factory,” a model for developing high-performing leaders who can navigate complexity with confidence. Drawing from McKinsey’s own experience developing leaders and extensive research, he shares best practices for fostering leadership excellence at scale.

Leading a global organization today is harder than ever, with disruptions like generative AI, the energy transition, and shifting workforce demands. Sternfels’ outlines McKinsey research that identifies 6 leadership traits that will be critical to 21st century leaders - positive energy, personal balance, and inspiration; servant and selfless leader; continuous learning and humble mindset; grit and resilience; levity; and stewardship.