CEO at Smith: Commanders’ Josh Harris Shares Career Lessons on Leadership, Risk and Resilience

There’s no shortcut to reaching the pinnacle of business, sports and philanthropy. For Josh Harris, managing partner of the Washington Commanders, the blueprint was simple—work hard, be relentlessly competitive and maintain a high standard of excellence.

Harris drew from his 30-plus years of experience in investing and business during the CEO at Smith event on Sept. 11, organized by the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. The event, held at the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center, featured a conversation between Harris and David Kass, a clinical professor of finance at the Smith School, who initiated and coordinated Harris’ appearance.

Over the hourlong conversation, the Chevy Chase, Md., native discussed his early passion for finance and his ascent to becoming one of the most successful investors in private equity history. He also talked about his responsibility as a public figure in sports to be present and enact positive change within his communities.

Harris catapulted his career in finance as a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, an alternatives firm. After leaving Apollo in 2022, he founded 26North, a next-generation alternatives asset management firm with an initial focus on private equity, credit and insurance solutions and with more than $23 billion in assets under management.

Between those ventures, Harris also co-founded Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, among other assets. He is the managing partner of both teams in addition to the Commanders. He also serves as general partner for the Premier League’s Crystal Palace Football Club in London.

Here are five career lessons Harris shared with attendees:

Establishing a competitive edge requires tone-setters. Given his involvement across business, sports and philanthropic endeavors, Harris noted the importance of knowing when and who to entrust to execute an organization’s vision. He likened his approach to that of a private equity sponsor—hire stellar individuals, invest in them and assess the results.

“If I had to make every decision, then I wouldn’t be able to do any of this,” said Harris. “My job is to manage talent, build a culture and hold people accountable for decisions made working toward our mission. If you’re not doing things that contribute to creating an elite franchise or business, then changes will be made.”

Control your narrative. Harris said the formative years of college are meant for students to build narratives about who they are and want to be. Goals will change, but narratives and values will last. Harris’ college days involved a desire to be around the most driven and brightest individuals. These days, he’s on a mission to win championships, reengage the DMV fanbase, generate returns on investment, and help people who work with him derive financial success and positively impact the world.

“Most people don’t know exactly what they want to do at that age, but make sure that the narrative you create gives you the flexibility to pursue something you love,” said Harris. “I always say there’s a very high ROI to working hard, but college is also an amazing time in your life, so work hard and play hard.”

Take calculated risks. Harris didn’t make a snap decision to leave Blackstone, the largest private equity firm in the world, just two months into his career at age 25 to join Apollo Global Management in its infancy. He weighed the potential upside and risks before taking the plunge. After 32 years of building with Apollo and reaching a $60 billion market cap, hindsight says it was a good gamble. Not every risk will pay off, but it’s crucial to understand every decision’s implications.

“My advice is to treat your career decisions as investment decisions. Don’t just take a risk to take a risk; make sure you weigh it,” said Harris. “In my case, it was a good risk because I had all this downside protection from my education, the relationships I had developed.”

Heed your innate skills. From an early age, Harris gravitated toward business. He fed that curiosity by pursuing an undergraduate business degree, which ultimately helped him discover his passion for finance and launch a successful career. He said that nurturing that interest with academic training and support was “instrumental” in changing his life.

“I always felt like business was the way to impact the most people in a positive way,” Harris said. “Whether it's starting Apollo, 26North or managing sports teams, I have this notion that capitalism could be a force for good, especially with its potential to change people’s lives through generational wealth creation. So I’ve always been interested in business and the language of business because of that.”

Get up off the mat. In discussing overcoming obstacles, Harris drew parallels to his days as a “small and scrappy” high school wrestler and finding the courage to continue getting off the mat even in difficult circumstances. He also recounted overcoming learning difficulties at a young age and later weathering the impact of a financial crisis as a college student. Everyone faces their fair share of challenges, Harris said, and everyone at some point must realize that life, by nature, is challenging.

“A major part of being successful is knowing how to get back to the basics, put your head down and work through adversity,” said Harris. “I learned from being a wrestler that if you don’t get back up, you’re physically and mentally dominated. So I would say, expect the challenges and keep calm and carry on.”