The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership

by Sam Walker

CHAPTER EIGHT TAKEAWAYS • If faced with the task of trying to stiffen a team’s resolve in the face of a grueling test, most of us will respond by finding a mirror and rehearsing a speech. Conventional wisdom tells us that the right words, delivered in the perfect moment, are the key to motivation. The captains in Tier One didn’t simply fail to prove this idea—they suggested that it’s patently false. They did not give speeches. They were often lousy interviews, too, or were considered to be quiet or even inarticulate. They led without fanfare. • One of the great scientific discoveries about effective teams is that their members talk to one another. They do it democratically, with each person taking a turn. The leaders of these kinds of teams circulated widely, talking to everyone with enthusiasm and energy. The teams in Tier One had talkative cultures like this, too—and the person who fostered and sustained that culture was the captain. Despite their lack of enthusiasm for talking publicly, most of these captains, inside the private confines of their teams, talked all the time and strengthened their messages with gestures, stares, touches, and other forms of body language. The secret to effective team communication isn’t grandiosity. It’s a stream of chatter that is practical, physical, and consistent.