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A review by boyblue
The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams by Sam Walker
3.0
Interesting read. The whole argument boils down to; each of the greatest teams of all time had a great captain and that captain had qualities that weren't what we would traditionally expect from a leader.
These qualities can all be summed up as leadership through service or being the "water carrier" as Walker puts it. The captains without exception always put the team first, many shunned public acknowledgement and praise, they were relentless in their desire to make the team great.
The anecdotes are great but he has picked stories from the careers of athletes that have played for over 20 years just to support his thesis. His argument that the captain in these teams isn't always the best player is also a bit dubious. Particularly when it comes to the All Blacks. Both Richie McCaw and Buck Shelford would be considered two of the greatest players to ever play the game. No doubt their leadership is part of that but they both changed the way their position was played and in McCaw's case, changed the whole game and even the rules. Definitely all the captains had an exceptional work ethic but I don't think that was always born out of a lack of natural talent.
Also the All Blacks since McCaw left have only got better. Kieran Reid is also an exceptional captain but I think that the succession planning at the All Blacks is largely to thank. Something the author ignores is how team management can control succession from one captain to another to make the transition seamless. This concept that the great teams must fall apart after "the glue" that is their captain leaves is debatable. Walker dodges the fact that Jordan's second set of championships with the Bulls was without Bill Cartwright, the captain he lauds for the first 3 championships. It would have been interesting to see what Walker would have said, had Jordan not left basketball for that hiatus.
Despite these rebuttals, I think the model for captain that Walker outlines should be something all captains aspire to and try to follow. Leadership through service does create the strongest team. There are other ways to lead and inspire but Walker's way also seems to be the most morally right way.
I'd love to see Walker tackle the traits he sees in these captains to individual sports and also rowing, cycling etc.
Lastly, Walker's use of anecdotes can be a bit jarring. While the anecdotes themselves are interesting he seems to lack a bit of Michael Lewis' polish in weaving narrative into explication. In saying that, his writing is intelligent and easy to read. It's also interesting to see some of these famous sporting moments through the eyes of someone watching only the captain. If you enjoy sport, if you're in a position of leadership or one day aspire to one, or if you are just interested in psychology, this is a good read.
These qualities can all be summed up as leadership through service or being the "water carrier" as Walker puts it. The captains without exception always put the team first, many shunned public acknowledgement and praise, they were relentless in their desire to make the team great.
The anecdotes are great but he has picked stories from the careers of athletes that have played for over 20 years just to support his thesis. His argument that the captain in these teams isn't always the best player is also a bit dubious. Particularly when it comes to the All Blacks. Both Richie McCaw and Buck Shelford would be considered two of the greatest players to ever play the game. No doubt their leadership is part of that but they both changed the way their position was played and in McCaw's case, changed the whole game and even the rules. Definitely all the captains had an exceptional work ethic but I don't think that was always born out of a lack of natural talent.
Also the All Blacks since McCaw left have only got better. Kieran Reid is also an exceptional captain but I think that the succession planning at the All Blacks is largely to thank. Something the author ignores is how team management can control succession from one captain to another to make the transition seamless. This concept that the great teams must fall apart after "the glue" that is their captain leaves is debatable. Walker dodges the fact that Jordan's second set of championships with the Bulls was without Bill Cartwright, the captain he lauds for the first 3 championships. It would have been interesting to see what Walker would have said, had Jordan not left basketball for that hiatus.
Despite these rebuttals, I think the model for captain that Walker outlines should be something all captains aspire to and try to follow. Leadership through service does create the strongest team. There are other ways to lead and inspire but Walker's way also seems to be the most morally right way.
I'd love to see Walker tackle the traits he sees in these captains to individual sports and also rowing, cycling etc.
Lastly, Walker's use of anecdotes can be a bit jarring. While the anecdotes themselves are interesting he seems to lack a bit of Michael Lewis' polish in weaving narrative into explication. In saying that, his writing is intelligent and easy to read. It's also interesting to see some of these famous sporting moments through the eyes of someone watching only the captain. If you enjoy sport, if you're in a position of leadership or one day aspire to one, or if you are just interested in psychology, this is a good read.