"Great leaders find ways to connect with their team and help them fulfill their potential."
- Steve J. Stowell
According to research done by Sam Walker, author of the book “The Captain Class,” team captains play a critical role in team success. Walker defines the team captain as the the non-chosen captain or the informal player-leader. He sights that these team leaders “serve as models, teachers, and support to their teammates.”
Walker lists seven common traits of captains who have lead their teams to successfully win multiple championships and perform at the top of their league.
1. They are relentless in their pursuit of mastery and excellence.
2. They play to the limits of the rules. They know how to motivate their teammates, sometimes it’s through uncharacteristic means. *Refer to the link to the article for more information.
3. They do thankless jobs. The great captains lowered themselves in relation to the group whenever possible in order to earn the moral authority to drive them forward in tough moments... The easiest way to lead, it turns out, is to serve.
4. They communicate in low-key, practical, and democratic way. They place a careful eye on all of their teammates, and the willingness to listen to them as much as call them out for mistakes or praise their accomplishments.
5. They motivate through non-verbal displays. Elite captains carry themselves in a way that serves as a model for their teammates.
6. They know when to stand up for their convictions. They do things like defending their teammates when they are being unfairly treated.
7. They are in total control of their emotions. You have to regulate emotion. You can bring it back at some later stage, but when you know you've got something to do, you can remove it from your thoughts, put it in a vault, and get on with what you need to get on with.
Here is the link to the article! https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/captains-of-best-sports-teams-shared-7-traits-2017-8