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.

Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PKe00u

Bill on Facebook:

People challenges are the toughest part of growing your business.

In this episode, Bill shares a story of uncovering why a high-potential team member was struggling and how rethinking roles transformed their performance. The right answer was to find this team member a right seat on the bus rather than kicking them off.

Don’t let people problems hold you back—this episode is your guide to turning challenges into growth opportunities. Get in touch with Bill if you want solutions in this area.

Keep scaling.

In this episode, we’ve got six of the best clips from six dynamic guests of the Scaling Up Business podcast from 2024.

(0:00) Scott Ramey: Defining Leadership Styles

Scott discusses how to identify your unique leadership style and leave a lasting impression.

Scott is a corporate leadership expert with a passion for helping professionals define their unique styles.

(1:41) Guy Kawasaki: Surviving the Steve Jobs Test

Guy shares his experience navigating a high-stakes moment with Steve Jobs.

Guy is a Silicon Valley veteran and former Apple evangelist known for his storytelling and entrepreneurial insights.

(5:36) Derrick Mains: The Myth of Hustle Culture

Derrick critiques hustle culture and emphasizes the importance of smarter work strategies.

Derrick is an operational strategist dedicated to helping organizations save time and resources.

(10:49) Casey Brown: Pricing with Confidence

Casey explores the psychology of pricing and how to avoid underestimating your value.

Casey is a pricing consultant and founder of a firm that helps businesses confidently charge their true value.

(16:08) Chip Conley: Midlife Reinvention and Curiosity

Chip discusses creating space for curiosity and embracing midlife transformations.

Chip is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and founder of the Modern Elder Academy.

(20:51) Chris Gronkowski: Lessons from Sports to Business

Chris highlights the transferable lessons from sports, including teamwork and time management.

Chris is a former NFL player turned entrepreneur who runs a successful business in the fitness space.

Thanks to everyone who guested on the Scaling Up Business podcast in 2024!

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.

Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PKe00u

Bill on Facebook:

In this mini-episode, Bill shares how the SWT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Trends) tool helped save his company during the 2008 financial crisis and how it can help you navigate turbulent times.

Do not confuse SWT with SWOT! SWT asks the senior leadership to think deeply and broadly about the inherent strengths, inherent weaknesses, and emerging trends in the market that can affect your company’s trajectory.

Hear how Bill adapted this framework to his own jewellery business.

Keep Scaling

Originally aired in February of this year, this episode revisits timeless insights from Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited and one of the world's most renowned thought leaders on small business success.

What does it take to build a business that operates without relying entirely on you? How do you design systems that scale while staying true to your vision and values?

In this episode, Bill Gallagher reconnects with Michael to explore foundational principles for creating scalable systems and impactful businesses. Michael reflects on his journey, the lessons from his bestseller, and why the concepts from The E-Myth remain as relevant today as ever.

Topics explored in this episode:

- The key difference between owning a business and having a job.

- Why most small businesses fail—and how to avoid the pitfalls.

- The Eightfold Path to evolving a company from 1 to 1,000 employees.

- The critical role of storytelling in creating a lasting legacy.

- Lessons from McDonald’s and other scalable business models.

- Why repeatability and ritual are at the heart of business success.

Chapters

(02:00) Michael’s Accidental Journey into Business

(09:30) The Importance of a Selling System

(17:00) Lessons from McDonald’s: Building Scalable Systems

(22:00) The Dream, Vision, Purpose, and Mission Framework

(31:00) Practice, Ritual, and Mastery in Business

(45:00) Addressing Remote Work through Timeless Principles

(50:00) The Eightfold Path: Evolving a Company from 1 to 1,000

Michael E. Gerber has spent over 40 years revolutionizing the way small businesses operate, starting with the principles in his global bestseller, The E-Myth Revisited. His work has inspired millions of entrepreneurs to systematize their businesses, transform their approach, and build enterprises that thrive without them.

Learn more about Michael's transformational programs: MichaelEGerber.com

Join Michael in The Dreaming Room: A six-week immersive experience to awaken the entrepreneur within.

Connect with Michael:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelegerbercompanies/
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/michaelegerber

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.

Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PKe00u

Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billgall/

Bill on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/billgall

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In this episode, Bill shares insights and techniques for incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily life.

Simple practices like breathing exercises, walks, and visualization can enhance focus, reduce stress, and supercharge your business and personal growth.

Discover the transformative power of mindfulness, no matter where you are on your journey—no ponytail or Sanskrit name required! From childhood experiences to modern strategies like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), this episode is packed with tools to help you stay grounded and thrive.

Keep scaling up with intention!