The Captain Class

The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams

By: Sam Walker

Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka

A bold new theory of leadership drawn from elite captains throughout sports - named one of the best business books of the year by CNBC, The New York Times, Forbes, strategy+business, The Globe and Mail, and Sports Illustrated

“The book taught me that there’s no cookie-cutter way to lead. Leading is not just what Hollywood tells you. It’s not the big pregame speech. It’s how you carry yourself every day, how you treat the people around you, who you are as a person.” (Mitchell Trubisky, quarterback, Chicago Bears)

The sixteen most dominant teams in sports history had one thing in common: Each employed the same type of captain - a singular leader with an unconventional set of skills and tendencies. Drawing on original interviews with athletes, general managers, coaches, and team-building experts, Sam Walker identifies the seven core qualities of the Captain Class - from extreme doggedness and emotional control to tactical aggression and the courage to stand apart. Told through riveting accounts of pressure-soaked moments in sports history, The Captain Class will challenge your assumptions of what inspired leadership looks like.

Praise for The Captain Class

“Wildly entertaining and thought-provoking... makes you reexamine long-held beliefs about leadership and the glue that binds winning teams together.” (Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, Chicago Cubs)

“If you care about leadership, talent development, or the art of competition, you need to read this immediately.” (Daniel Coyle, author of The Culture Code)

“The insights in this book are tremendous.” (Bob Myers, general manager, Golden State Warriors)

“An awesome book... I find myself relating a lot to its portrayal of the out-of the-norm leader.” (Carli Lloyd, co-captain, US Soccer Women’s National Team)

“A great read... Sam Walker used data and a systems approach to reach some original and unconventional conclusions about the kinds of leaders that foster enduring success. Most business and leadership books lapse into clichés. This one is fresh.” (Jeff Immelt, chairman and former CEO, General Electric)

“I can’t tell you how much I loved The Captain Class. It identifies something many people who’ve been around successful teams have felt but were never able to articulate. It has deeply affected my thoughts around how we build our culture.” (Derek Falvey, chief baseball officer, Minnesota Twins)

©2017 Sam Walker (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The Captain Class really resonated with me. It will absolutely be part of my thought process as we continue to build our roster.” (Ryan Pace, general manager, Chicago Bears)

"I’ve been involved with an undefeated high school team, an undefeated college team, and coached in two Super Bowls. The Captain Class made me think back to those teams. The captains were indeed characters with a bit of uniqueness and a certain grittiness.” (Pat Ruel, offensive line coach, Seattle Seahawks)

“The best book I’ve read this year.” (Mike Dunlap, head basketball coach, Loyola Marymount University)

Must read

Become a better leader and recognize the attributes and key components that make them up.

Captain my Captain

I consume leadership books like water and this is one of the best ever! If you want to build or lead a game-changing, world class team, read this book and then choose to be or endeavor to find the Captain.

Must read (listen) for current sports execs

The amount of work and research put into this book is immense. Some of the internal stories tend to run a bit long, but the presentation of information in support of team leadership is absolutely irrefutable.

Awesome leadership lessons!

I liked the performance and I think every coach and player on any team should read this book!

Great Depth and Analysis of Team Sports

What made the experience of listening to The Captain Class the most enjoyable?

It was empirical, objective, and had a great reader.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Captain Class?

The amount of research that went into selecting what a "team sport" is. This is where the book started. It made the research credible and selective. It was purposeful research.

What does Keith Szarabajka bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His tone is mature with little sensationalism. It really brings it home.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The anecdotes of each team leader and their teams were especially great. Particularly the story of the Cuban volleyball team.

Any additional comments?

I would strongly recommend this book to anybody who has played sports and seeks a higher understanding of how teams stay atop of their game.

Fascinating and entertaining

The Captain Class shows examples of effective team leadership throughout interesting research and data analysis. The sports figures interviewed were interesting. Fascinating and entertaining read. The narrator is great, and the book lends itself to audio.

Captains or No

Interesting viewpoints on captains and leadership...not sure of the statistical basis, but excellent observations on the affect of captains and team cohesion.

Fantastic

This book is nothing short of fantastic. Wonderfully written and researched, it paints the picture and argument for our society’s need to revive the long lost art form of truly effective leaders

Among the best of the best

I have read many, many books in this genre, and The Captain Class is without a doubt among the best of them. It’s balance of engaging storytelling with clear, actionable and highly relevant lessons for teams make it one of my all-time favorites both for enjoyability and for its practical applications. I strongly recommend it to any coach or group leader.

must read for anyone with an office job

The insights from this book are highly applicable to the business world. I gave it to a number of coworkers.