Leadership and Sports: The Captain - Key factor for success
In just a few weeks, we'll see teams from all over the world at the Olympic Games in Paris and the European Championships in Germany. Who will be the champion? What makes a winning team? "You have to be eleven friends" is the saying in football, but for a team to be truly world class, truly dominant and excellent, much more is required.
In his impressive and comprehensive analysis of the legendary teams of the last 100 years, Sam Walker concludes: 'For most of the top teams in the history of sport, dominance is clearly linked to the arrival of one person who demonstrates a fanatical will to win... the captain...' - 'The Captains Class' (2016) https://bysamwalker.com/the-captain-class/
Based on his in-depth statistical analysis, some of the most legendary teams that expressed real dominance are besiders others
The Captain – on person who gives it all: Comittment, passion, the will to win
Wayne Shelford – Captain of the New Zeeland All Blacks was known for “giving it all”, even injuries could rarely stop him https://www.barrons.com/news/hardman-shelford-warns-all-blacks-of-dangerous-france-7c453538 .
Research shows that knowing your counterpart is giving their all is enough to make people give more themselves https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.49.5.1199
The captains were rarely stars – they carried water
The captains of the elite team “carried water”, they lowered themselves in relation to the group whenever possible in order to earn the moral authority to drive them forward in tough moments.
John Hackman, Harvard University: In reality, only 10 % of a team‘s performance depends on what the leader did once the performance is under way [...] and on that 10% it is important to get the job done https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/3332-PDF-ENG
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Carrying water means taking care the job gets done. The easiest way to lead, it turns out, is to serve. Tim Duncan is an excellent example
Top teams talk to each other - the person who encouraged this dialogue was the captain.
The top captains are charismatic connectors and communicate effectively verbally and non-verbally. They foster collaboration through hands-on, ongoing communication.
An MIT study of 21 organisations, from banks to hospitals, based on sociometric data, confirmed that communication matters. The team's communication style on any given day was the best indicator of performance. The level of energy and engagement was a key factor. Ideally, everyone talks and listens in roughly equal measure (Alex Pentland 2012, HBR) https://globalioc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/The-New-Science-of-Team-Building.pdf
In his book "the captain's class", Alex mentions besides others Didier Deschamps, the who managed to win World Cup Titles as player and coach and the German Philipp Lahm as captains and top communicators which were center to their team success.
World-class captains as role models
Sport, with its tests of physical fitness and strength of character for both the individual and the whole team, offers beautiful parallels to the business world. The success of an elite team requires not only stars, but also key individuals who 'carry the water', ensure effective communication and model a culture of excellence for the team. The captain
I am very excited to see which team and which personality will prevail this year.
Let the games begin!