In Hollywood, the big speech became the preferred motivational plot device—not only for fictional political and military leaders but sports figures, astronauts, even poetry teachers. To prepare a group to meet some prodigious challenge, a leader is supposed to draw its members together and talk to them. But it was here, in this regard, that the captains of the sixteen teams in Tier One deviated the furthest from our image of what makes an eminent leader. These men and women were not silver-tongued orators or fiery motivators. They didn’t like giving speeches.
