What can business leaders learn from the best sports teams that have had success for decades?

In this episode, Sam Walker joins host Bill Gallagher to discuss the leadership secrets of the world’s most successful sports teams. From the unassuming captains who drive dynasties to the cultural pillars that make teams legendary, Sam shares powerful insights for business leaders.

Sam Walker is the guy who cracked the code on what makes great teams tick. As a former global sports editor at The Wall Street Journal and author of the bestselling book The Captain Class, Sam’s obsession with leadership and teamwork has taken him into locker rooms, boardrooms, and beyond.

Topics explored in this episode:

- The surprising importance of unassuming captains in driving team success.

- Why Michael Jordan’s leadership wasn’t the key to the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty.

- How a culture of winning defines teams like the New Zealand All Blacks.

- Lessons from the 2004 Red Sox and their dramatic midseason turnaround.

- Why team success often depends on "invisible" leadership work behind the scenes.

- The value of dissent and conflict in building a strong team culture.

- How Ted Lasso humorously portrays key lessons about leadership and team dynamics.

- Why great leaders prioritize collective success over personal recognition.

- The Cuban women’s volleyball team’s dominance and their innovative approach to practice.

Chapters in this episode:

(02:20) Meet Sam Walker

(05:10) The Role of Captains in Sustained Success

(09:50) Bill Cartwright and the Chicago Bulls

(15:00) The 2004 Red Sox Story

(19:45) The New Zealand All Blacks

(27:50) The Cuban Women’s Volleyball Team

(40:06) Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso

Thanks to Sam Walker for being on the show!

Sam will be the keynote speaker at our upcoming SCALING UP LIVE event on June 10-12, 2025 in Denver, Colorado: https://chiefexecutive.net/scaling-up/

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-walker-captain-class/

Learn more about Sam: https://www.bysamwalker.com/

Get Sam’s book, The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812997190

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop

Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach

Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up...

When processes fail, chaos follows. In this mini-episode, Bill recounts a high-stakes story from his own leadership journey and a public company's desperate cash-flow crisis.

Bill shares how simple yet powerful fixes—born from collaboration and hard truths—turned the tide. If broken workflows are holding your business back, this episode reveals how to rebuild for resilience and success.

Keep scaling.

Got peak performance? How can leaders use science to optimize their daily routines for better outcomes?

In this episode, Bill chats with Dr. Carla Fowler, MD PhD about the intersection of science and leadership. Dr. Fowler shares how her medical background informs her coaching approach, offering insights on stress management, focus, and decision-making.

Dr. Carla Fowler, MD PhD, is a high-energy performance coach who blends her expertise with a passion for helping leaders thrive. As the founder of THAXA, she’s on a mission to turn science-backed strategies into game-changing results for her clients.

Topics explored in this episode:

- The physiological impact of stress on leadership and decision-making.

- Lessons from the medical field that translate to coaching and business leadership.

- Prioritizing tasks to achieve significant goals.

- How clarity and alignment can boost team motivation and performance.

- Separating ideation from execution.

- Strategies for balancing creative vision with practical business actions.

- Why experimentation and curiosity are vital for personal and organizational growth.

- The role of play in maintaining high performance and avoiding stagnation.

Chapters in this episode:

(02:01) Meet Dr. Carla Fowler

(05:16) The Science Behind Leadership

(10:19) Transitioning from Medicine to Coaching

(18:05) The Importance of Focus in Leadership

(24:46) Aligning Team Priorities

(35:14) Experimentation and Growth: Lessons from Science

(45:29) Play, Passion, & Quality of Life

Thanks to Dr. Carla Fowler for being on the show!

Learn more about Dr. Fowler and THAXA Executive Coaching: https://www.thaxa.com/

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop

Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach

Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth.

Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.

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