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Sam Walker

Award-winning sports writer and editor, author of The Captain Class

Former Deputy Editor for The Wall Street Journal's enterprise unit, that directs the paper’s in-depth page-one features and investigative reporting projects.
Founded the Wall Street Journal’s prizewinning daily sports coverage in 2009.
Uses sports knowledge to analyze the qualities of a great leader.

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Sam Walker is The Wall Street Journal’s leadership columnist and the author of “The Captain Class,” which was named one of the best business books of 2017 by CNBC, Amazon, the New York Times, Strategy + Business, and Sports Illustrated.

Walker joined The Journal in 1998 as a sportswriter and sports columnist. In 2009, he became the founding editor of the paper’s prizewinning daily sports coverage. He later served as the Journal’s deputy page-one editor.

In addition to writing his column, Walker is a frequent keynote speaker for business groups. He also serves as a teambuilding consultant and coach for companies, military units, and professional, collegiate and Olympic sports teams, including the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

Walker is a two-time champion of Tout Wars, the elite fantasy-baseball competition that was the subject of his bestselling book, “Fantasyland.” He graduated from the University of Michigan. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children

Speaker Video

Sam Walker at CXC Las Vegas

Leadership & The Captain Class at The Montgomery Summit 2018

What is the Hidden Force that Creates the World’s Greatest Teams? | Sam Walker

The Six Most Underrated Leaders in Sports

Who's the Greatest Captain in Sports History? Sam Walker Takes on Sports Fans

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A Great Leader is Not What You Think. Sam Walker spent 12 years studying the greatest team dynasties in sports history, all over the world, in order to write his widely acclaimed book, “The Captain Class: A New Theory of Leadership.” This talk will reveal the exhaustive process that led Walker to discover that the essential ingredient of any great, long-lasting team effort is the character of the person who leads it. Through a combination of science and unforgettable anecdotes, Walker describes the unconventional behavior that sets these great leaders apart, while blowing up many myths and misconceptions that prevent organizations in all fields from selecting the right leaders.

Building a High-Performance Leadership Culture. In his work as a consultant to businesses, military organizations and professional sports teams, Walker has developed a methodology that any team can use to strengthen its leadership culture. This talk will help teams of all kinds to improve the way they identify and cultivate.