About the book
Sam Walker, the first editor of the sports section at The Wall Street Journal, set out to rank the greatest teams ever. He built a formula, applied it to thousands of teams from Olympic field hockey to the NBA and the English Premier League, and arrived at the sixteen most dominant. What they shared was neither a star nor a coach nor money but the same type of captain. Walker identifies seven qualities of these leaders, among them extreme doggedness, emotional control, tactical aggression, a knack for nonverbal communication and the courage to stand apart. The book rests on a decade of research and on interviews he conducted with athletes in two dozen countries, plus coaches, general managers and executives.
Ryan Holiday called it the best business and leadership book he read in 2018, arguing that great teams turn on their captains rather than star players or spending. Eric Ries named it among his top 10 business books for showing what the greatest sports teams have in common.
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This book has 2 recommendations
Eric Ries (Founder/Long-Term Stock Exchange)
A fascinating book about the one thing that the greatest sports teams in history have in common and the critical aspects of leadership they share.
Ryan Holiday (Media Strategist, Author, Founder/Brass Check)
This was definitely the best business/leadership book I read this year. It proves that we have really missed what makes great teams and organizations work. It’s not star players, it’s not even how much they can spend–it’s whether they have great captains. Walker’s chapter on “carrying the water” had some great insights re: Ego is the Enemy and I think this incredibly well-written book should be studied by anyone trying to build a great organization (or trying to find a role for themselves inside one).
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