The Importance of Culture and Appearance in Sports Leadership

In episode #279, we're joined by Craig Custance, who is the Head of Creative Development at The Athletic.

Custance recently released his second book, The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams, which features in-depth interviews with some of the top team builders in hockey, including Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello, and many more.

The book showcases the unique path each of these individuals has taken to  land in their current roles, the challenges they’ve faced in their careers and the decisions that have led them and their teams to the pinnacle of the sport.

Custance got his start in hockey by covering the Atlanta Thrashers for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and joined ESPN in 2011 as a National Hockey writer. In 2017, he joined The Athletic and has played a pivotal role in growing the company into a global sports brand that today serves over 11 million subscribers.

Listen as he shares key lessons learned from hockey's top builders, the traits that all great leaders have in common, and future GM's to watch out for.