Scholars who study leadership have done a fine job of identifying positive traits that all leaders aspire to, but they have set a prohibitively high bar. The captains profiled in this book did not always clear it. They were not abundantly talented or charismatic. Most of the things they did to help their teams become dynasties were functions of behavior and experience—of the skills they developed and the choices they made on the job. Great leaders do not need to be glamorous. They only need a knowledge of what a successful effort looks like and a plan to get there. They do not need to remind
...more
