Paul Kapsalis Libros

Winners of 8 national championships, Indiana University is to men’s college soccer what University of North Carolina is to college basketball or University of Notre Dame is to college football. To Chase a Dream is the true story of one kid’s near-impossible desire to play soccer at that national powerhouse, a kid who was told time after time that he simply wasn’t good enough and never would be. What all the doubters failed to consider was that inside the body of an under-sized, humble Paul Kapsalis was the heart of a lion. This is his journey, a story that affirms that perseverance, optimism, hard work, a willingness to learn, and kindness can lead to remarkable achievements and transform a kid who just wanted to play soccer into a leader of men. It took him 5 years, fighting through rejection and a career-threatening injury, but Paul got where he never expected to go. Here’s a chance to see how he did it.

The conventional perception of a leader is someone who carries a certain status: captain, coach or manager of a sports team, or executive in a company. Those positions certainly place people in leadership roles, but anyone in any position in any organization can be a leader. The Leadership Code explores that unconventional notion of personal leadership and blends it with the conventional perception by telling the journey of Paul Whitey Kapsalis-who grew into leadership roles in sports, business, and other areas of life-and using his observations of the people he encountered on his path, the people he calls exceptional everyday leaders. The authors' approach starts with philotimo-a Greek word that roughly translates to honor in doing the right thing, but encompasses a much broader philosophy akin to servant-leadership. It reflects a humility that values others above oneself. It also begins with a commitment to yourself and a decision to be a leader who cares more about those around you than individual acclaim; a leader with heart. In The Leadership Code, you'll read about the different places in life where leadership presents itself: in a family, in sports, in parenthood, in business, in friendship, and in your community. In each of those instances, the authors emphasize that it doesn't matter what place you occupy. What matters is how you occupy that place. Anyone can be a leader with heart.