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Sam Walker Quotes

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Famous Sam Walker Quotes

“The same unceasing drive was something displayed by Russell, Puyol, Berra, Richard, and every other captain in Tier One. Early struggles culminated in a defining moment, a breakthrough that left no doubt about their desire to win at any cost. And in each case, after they had established this fact, their teams began to turn the corner. The pattern was so consistent that it suggested their doggedness might, in fact, have been contagious.”

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Book:The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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“If there is a pathway into the minds of human beings that bypasses consciousness and absorbs the emotions of others; and if this pathway can be activated by the sight of a bloody uniform, a hair-raising tribal dance, or just a deep stare; and if these displays can propel a team to run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and push through pain and exhaustion, then these captains must have been masters of the art.”

PainEmotionCaptainExhaustPush ThroughPropel
Book:The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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“The captain is the figure who holds sway over the dressing room by speaking to teammates as a peer, counseling them on and off the field, motivating them, challenging them, protecting them, resolving disputes, enforcing standards, inspiring fear when necessary, and above all setting a tone with words and deeds.”

FearWorkProtectChallengeMotivateStandardCaptainDeedDisputePeer
Book:The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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“There was no question that the captains who made a habit of testing the boundaries of the rules would never be revered by the public the way Derek Jeter was. But this theory suggested that calling their behavior thuggish was an oversimplification. These were aggressive acts that pushed the limits of what’s acceptable, but they were also instrumental.”

AggressiveAcceptRuleLimitCaptainBoundaryInstrumental
Book:The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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“On the Tier One Teams I studied, the typical pecking order put the coach at the top, the talent on the bottom, and a water-carrying captain in the middle who served as an independent mediator between them. In this new order, where power and popularity went hand in hand, the middle manager’s role had been squeezed out. Unless the captain was the superstar, the captain was a bystander.”

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Book:The Captain Class: The Hidden Force that Creates the World's Greatest Teams
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