What factors contribute to make a good leader and how might your style of leadership vary to be successful when involved in individual, team and racket activities?

The first 200 words of this essay...

What factors contribute to make a good leader and how might your style of leadership vary to be successful when involved in individual, team and racket activities?

It is no coincidence that the teams and individuals chasing sports most prestigious prizes are led by men and women of genuine inspiration.

The value of such captains and leaders cannot be underestimated whether they be a firebrand with a laser tongue and a short fuse such as Roy Keane at Manchester United or a man of few words but shimmering example such as Arsenal's Patrick Vieira.

The key is respect. Invariably a skipper commanding such a quality is the first name on the team sheet precisely because he is the link between the management and the team.

The skipper (leader) is the manager's eyes and ears. He is the closest to the heartbeat of the team and the inner thoughts of the manager, which is why it so often appears that a manager and his captain have been carved from the same mould. They simply have to operate on the same wavelength.

So the vocal, abrasive style of Keane perfectly mirrors the feisty,