Truth #1 They lacked superstar talent.
The captains of dominant teams were not the best players on their teams, or even major stars. They often arrived with skill deficiencies and had been described by coaches as average players. Some had been forced to fight hard just to make it to the elite ranks and were at some point overlooked.
Truth #2 They weren’t fond of the spotlight.
The captains of dominant teams didn’t enjoy the trappings of fame and rarely sought attention. When it did find them, it seemed to make them uncomfortable. Off the field, they were often quiet, even introverted and in a few causes, famously inarticulate.
Truth #3 They didn’t lead in the traditional sense.
The captains of dominant teams relied heavily on the talents around them to carry the scoring burden. This is contrary to the belief that the leader has to take over the game in critical comments.
Truth #4 They were not angels.
The captains of dominant teams played to the edge of the rules, often did unsportsmanlike things or generally behaved in a way that seemed to threaten their team’s chance of winning. They weren’t afraid to berat officials, coaches or team executives. They were tough on the rivals too, tossing them on the ground, pinning them to the turf or calling them names.
Truth #5 They did potentially divisive things.
The captains of dominant teams tended to disregard the orders of coaches, defied team rules and strategies and gave candid feedback in which they’d spoken out against everyone from fans, teammates and coaches to the overlords of the sport.
Truth #6 They weren’t the usual suspects.
Perhaps the most striking thing about the list was who wasn’t on it. Some of the most glaring absences include Jordan, the co-captain of the Tier Two Chicago bulls, who is widely considered the greatest basketball player in history and Roy Keane, the captain of Manchester United team that also landed in Tier Two.
Truth #7 They weren’t the primary leaders.
On most teams, the highest position in the pecking order belongs to the coach or manager. After all, the coach usually appoints the captain. There’s another powerful stratum of management above the coach, too. Surely their contributions and willingness to spend money, played a significant role.
The importance of Glue-Guys
Every winning streak is bounded by two moments of transformation. One where it begins and one where it ends. For the most dominant teams in history, these moments had an uncanny correlation to one player’s arrival or departure, or both. This person not only displayed a fanatical commitment to the team, they also happened to be the captain.
Most of us believe leaders should possess a good combination of skills and personality traits that are considered to be superior than others. The leaders of the most dominant teams in history did not match this profile.
Do coaches matter?
One of the first lessons we learn as children is to respect authority. We look up to our parents, teachers with special powers. We believe they mold us. Sports fans project the same idea to coaches. The conventional wisdom is the coach rather than the players is the primary force behind success. On the most dominant teams, this wasn’t the case.
That said, coaches do matter. They’ve shown to reframe the game with tactical innovations, build cultures that are more powerful than any individuals. Many of the coaches including Guardiola, Blake, McHale had been highly decorated captains before becoming managers. This suggests the lessons these men learned on the field about the power of captaincy.
https://waiyancan.com/summary-the-captain-class-by-sam-walker/