The Art of Captaincy: The Principles of Leadership in Sport and Business

Mike Brearley is one of the most successful cricket captains of all time, and, in 1981, he captained the England team to the momentous Ashes series victory against Australia. In The Art of Captaincy, his treatise on leadership and motivation, he draws directly on his experience of man-managing a team, which included a pugnacious Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott, to explain what it takes to be a leader on and off the field. Giving an insight into both his tactical understanding of the game, as well as how to get a group of individuals playing as a team in order to get the best out of them, The Art of Captaincy is a classic handbook on how to generate, nurture, and inspire success. With a new introduction by former England player and BBC commentator Ed Smith, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its first publication, The Art of Captaincy remains urgently relevant for cricket fans and business leaders alike. Covering the ability to use intuition, resourcefulness, clear-headedness, and the importance of empathy as a means of achieving shared goals, Brearley's seminal account of captaincy is the ultimate blueprint for creating a winning mindset, but also shows how the lessons in the sporting arena can be applied to any walk of personal and professional life.

Mike Brearley played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1961-1983. He first played for England in 1976 and captained the side from 1977-1980, winning 17 Test matches and losing only four. He was recalled to the captaincy in 1981 for the Ashes Home series, leading England to one of their most famous victories. Since retiring from cricket in 1982 he now works as a psychoanalyst, and is a lecturer on leadership and motivation. Ed Smith is a former captain of Middlesex Cricket Club, and England batsman. He now works as a commentator for the BBC on Test Match Special.