The
Captaincy
60 stories. 40 years. One framework that transforms how people lead.
Leadership isn’t complicated — it’s human.
In The Captaincy, Mark Francis distils four decades of coaching, speaking, and studying elite performers into a set of stories and tools that help people believe in themselves again.
This is leadership you can feel.
Leadership you can use.
Leadership told through the lives of real people who chose to captain meaningful change.
a great captain?
Great leaders aren’t born.
They’re built through choices — small and big.
Mark has worked with world-class athletes, global executives, emerging leaders and everyday people doing extraordinary things. Across 42 countries, he found the same truth
The Captaincy is a collection of 60 powerful stories about people who did exactly that.
It’s not theory.
It’s not jargon
It’s lived experience.
Perfect for anyone who wants to:
Strengthen leadership skills
Build self-belief
Understand human performance
Learn from real stories, not lectures
Sporting Intelligence
The Framework Behind the Stories
At the heart of the book is Sporting Intelligence (SpQ) — Mark’s model for understanding what makes great leaders stand out.
SpQ is built on four transformative traits:
Positive Intention
A clear, steady commitment to doing good — for yourself, your team, and your purpose.
Self-Command
Staying calm, steady, and grounded under pressure. Holding your centre so others can find theirs.
Thin-Slicing
Making smart decisions with limited information — a hallmark of great captains in sport and business.
Tribal Fire
Uniting people behind a shared mission; building the energy that makes groups unstoppable.
Together, these traits help people lead with clarity, courage, and confidence.
What Readers Are Saying
Pick any story in this book
and you’ll have a ready-made success guide.
Becky Worley
Good Morning America & NBC News
These are great insights
into top-level leadership.
Gavin Hastings OBE
Scotland & British Lions Captain
Mark taught me long ago to be inspired by the thrill of success,
not cowered by the fear of failure. Decades later, he’s done it again with this book.
Ramsay Jones CBE
Political Strategist
For those who make themselves heard
when the world isn’t ready to listen.
Mark Francis
Author
Real Change.
The Captaincy isn’t a leadership manual.
It’s an invitation.
Through stories from sport, business, adversity, triumph, and everyday life, readers discover:
How ordinary people become captains
How confidence is built, not gifted
Why leadership always starts with one brave decision
The power of tribes, teams, and communities
How to unlock the captain already inside you
The book is ideal for:
Leaders
Managers
Teams
Coaches
Students
Anyone facing a moment that requires courage and direction
The Captaincy
What You’ll Learn
Across 60 stories, you’ll explore:
- Leadership under pressure
- The psychology behind great captains
- How teams create momentum
- Why self-belief is a trainable skill
- How sporting intelligence translates to business
- What makes people step up when it matters most
Each story is short, memorable, practical —
About Mark Francis
Global speaker. Author. Grand Slam-winning coach.
A leader who has helped people win at work — and at play — for more than 40 years.
Mark has coached teams across England, Scotland, France and Great Britain, and has mentored executives across the United Nations, HSBC, Danone, Zurich, and numerous global organisations.
His work blends elite sport, human behaviour, and leadership into something simple, accessible, and powerful.
The Captaincy brings this lifetime of insight together in one place.
Ready to Captain the Change That Matters?
