Capitanes

Sam Walker examines in this fascinating essay the key to the success of the best sports teams in the world, and reaches surprising conclusions: the hidden force behind the most legendary teams in history is not the coach, nor the star; it is not money or strategy; it's a whole different question... Ten years ago, Sam Walker decided to answer the most controversial sport question: what are the most successful teams of all time? Using statistics, he identified the 16 teams with the most wins behind him in all sports, from soccer to basketball to rugby or women's volleyball. The next step was inevitable: what characteristics did these super-teams have in common? As he advanced, Walker found a pattern: they all had a very special type of leader behind them, a captain, but not the one one would expect. They were unorthodox, rare and unsociable anomalies, not very talented, bad communicators, they broke the rules and, instead of demanding attention, they preferred the background. Captains very different from what is expected of inspiring leaders. From teams as famous as F.C. Barcelona, ??the Brazilian national team, the All Blacks or the New York Yankees, and others less known such as the Soviet ice hockey team or the French handball team, Capitanes reveals the seven fundamental qualities that an exceptional leader needs. Based on exclusive interviews with athletes, coaches, and leaders from dozens of countries, Walker explains whether leaders are born or made, and why the wrong captain is sometimes chosen. It's not just a book about sports, it's the key to how great teams are built and what successful leadership is based on.