Kill the Unicorn

By: Emma Hayes, Michael Calvin - contributor

Narrated by: Emma Hayes

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

How do you get the best out of people? What does it take to make a team thrive?

Few people know the answers better than Emma Hayes. As the coach of Chelsea FC Women, she has led the club to 14 major trophies. She is a widely celebrated figure in sports media as a woman starting to get equal recognition in this space, and has been named TV pundit of the year by both Broadcast Magazine and the Sports Journalists Association. In 2021 she was named Best Football Coach by FIFA, in 2016 she was named MBE in the Queen’s 90th birthday honours list, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE for her services to football.

In her first ever book, written in collaboration with internationally best-selling author Michael Calvin, Emma shares her experience of managing a high-performance football team to draw out life lessons and techniques that listeners can apply to their own professional and personal circumstances.

Narrated by Emma herself, it’s also a fascinating look into the world of women’s football told by a woman at the centre of it, with frank, entertaining anecdotes from on and off the field.

©2023 Emma Hayes OBE c/o The Blair Partnership LLP (P)2023 Audible, Ltd

Teamwork at every level every day

Emma weaves together her views on team management and leadership with her personal story. I find her credible, expert in her analysis and thorough in her illumination of all the elements of business or sport success. The two arenas have numerous legitimate corollaries. Got a little repetitive - a little tighter editing would be worthwhile. I’d like a hard copy on Kindle for reference. I appreciated hearing this in Emma’s voice. Go USWNT and Emma Hayes in the Olympics!

Amazing Insights!!

Easy to listen to. Very informative views on more than just women's soccer, but the women themselves in the sport. She listens to everything for them to help them. Definitely a respectable coach & person. Book flowed very well. Thank you!

Loved this!

Great insight and stories! Applicable across professions! It was very easy and pleasant to listen to whether you are a Chelsea fan or not.

Informative about new coach

Read by the author. Interesting remarks about other leaders. Title explained and idea runs through book from beginning to end.

LOVE IT SO GOOD.

Not just for soccer lovers but all leaders! Such a great book and great narration

Insightful

This is a great listen for anyone looking to be a leader. Very heartfelt and introspective.

wow, a real must listen

what an awesome career, loved the valuable insights , really special coach. great insight, loved this listen

One of the best books on leadership I’ve ever encountered

I sincerely enjoyed this. I actually started listening to it immediately again. So many wonderful insights.

Kill It!

Listening to "Kill the Unicorn" was an incredibly humbling experience that transcended the realm of soccer. Emma Hayes, with her engaging narration, brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to life, making this audiobook a must-listen for anyone interested in leadership and teamwork.

As a man, it was particularly inspiring to witness her approach in a male-dominated industry. Hayes's journey as the coach of Chelsea FC Women, where she has amassed an impressive 14 major trophies, showcases not just her skill in soccer but her ability to motivate and bring out the best in people. The insights she shares are applicable to both professional and personal settings, making the lessons even more powerful. Her candid anecdotes, filled with humor and vulnerability, create a captivating narrative that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Her perspective as a woman in a field traditionally dominated by men adds a much-needed voice to the world of women’s football. It’s inspiring to see someone like Hayes not only break barriers but also excel in such a competitive environment. Her story serves as a beacon for aspiring leaders everywhere, demonstrating that success knows no gender.

I’ve shared this audiobook with multiple people because the lessons are universal and relevant to anyone striving for excellence. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, "Kill the Unicorn" offers valuable insights that will resonate with you long after you’ve finished listening. Highly recommend it!

Extremely tedious, even if you speed it up by 20%

This was the worst leadership book I’ve ever battled through. The author narrated the book herself in an effort to achieve authenticity and convey her humility, but this was a horrible mistake. Trying in vain to be self-effacing, she goes on to over-exaggerate the importance of her role as a head coach of a women’s club football team, to the extent that it seemed she was running the most complicated and successful business in the world by herself. I was ready to give up on the book half way through, but pushed on at 1.2x speed, hoping to neutralise her monotonous droning and get some original insights from this book. Unfortunately these never materialised for me, but perhaps I am not the target audience. Then again, I am not sure who the target audience would be that would be interested in generic feel good quotes espoused by a person that clearly doesn’t know how to delegate or how to empower her management team. I am super grateful she’s not my boss!