Leadership expert Mark Francis launches “The Captaincy” today at Richmond Waterstones, introducing a groundbreaking framework that reveals why American corporations are overlooking the most effective leadership laboratory in existence: the playing field.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/6wR0Bopoo2w
The book presents Francis’s concept of Sporting Intelligence, or SpQ, a measurable framework identifying the decisive factor separating competent leaders from transformational ones.
Drawing on four decades coaching elite athletes including England, Scotland, and Great Britain’s women’s rugby teams while simultaneously mentoring executives at Danone, the United Nations, HSBC, and Beringer Winery, Francis argues that lessons from sport create superior business leaders.
Francis believes the recent US Ryder Cup loss exemplifies a critical gap in American leadership development. “If Captain Keegan Bradley had applied the principles of sporting intelligence, the outcome could have been different,” Francis states. “We spend billions developing business leaders through MBA programs while ignoring masterclasses in leadership under pressure happening every weekend on playing fields worldwide.”
Stephen Jones, The Sunday Times sports journalist who has followed Francis’s career for 27 years, writes in his foreword: “Mark’s reach is formidable. I love his concept of ‘thin slicing’… also his ‘tribal fire,’ or the inner power and passion which can be developed into individuals or team groups. This book is a feast. It ranges across improvement philosophies in so many sports and business settings. It should become a textbook in its own right.”
The book introduces trainable capacities Francis terms thin slicing, the ability to make accurate judgments from minimal information, and tribal fire, the internal drive that becomes contagious within groups. Additional concepts include UPwards momentum, Transformational Intentionality, and practical protocols for developing leadership excellence under pressure.
Francis brings unique credentials spanning sport and business. Since 1982, he has coached women’s rugby in a period when female athletes received minimal support. His business journey began in 2006 when he co-founded The Star Commercial Academy with Jonathan Brough. By 2012, the company expanded with four additional founders, Chester Robinson, Amanda Downs, Pippa Dunford, and Colin Wright, and became Uspire. In 2024, the organization evolved into the Uspire Partnership and acquired two businesses: Business Doctors and the Be Human Collective. The name Uspire captures Mark’s drive to give people the confidence to lead significant change in their communities.
Born in Chelsea with formative years in Miami and Switzerland between 2000 and 2004, Francis developed a global perspective on leadership challenges. His approach blends sport psychology with multi-sector business insight gained from working across international markets.
“I see myself as a dolphin trainer, creating 10,000 leaders as educators around the world,” Francis explains. “I mentor these Captains of change in business and sport with infectious enthusiasm’’.
‘The Captaincy’ offers a comprehensive three-part leadership system designed for large American businesses where leadership development is business critical. The program includes a motivational speech to kickstart change initiatives, the inspirational book for leadership teams, and a two-day Mastermind workshop to embed principles into practice.
Francis emphasizes the critical need for more female leaders, drawing on his decades coaching women’s rugby. “The world needs more female leaders,” he states. “Not as diversity checkbox items, but because we’re leaving extraordinary talent undeveloped. Some of the most effective captains I’ve coached were women who had to fight for every opportunity.”
The book examines inspirational individuals across ice hockey, basketball, rowing, tennis, golf, and swimming, demonstrating how SpQ principles adapt to different contexts. Francis’s website augmenta.co.uk features multi-national insight videos showing applications across diverse business environments.
“The Captaincy” retails at $21.99 or £15.99 and is available at major bookstores. An audio version launches in January 2026. Francis plans a US roadshow speaking tour in 2026, bringing the SpQ framework directly to American businesses confronting leadership challenges in an era of unprecedented change.
Francis aims to sell 1,000 copies by Christmas and has received speaking requests from multiple countries. His goal extends beyond book sales to creating what he calls UPwards momentum, where leadership capacity grows exponentially rather than incrementally.
“American companies dominate globally in innovation and scale,” Francis observes. “But leadership development remains stubbornly traditional. We’re preparing leaders for yesterday’s challenges using frameworks designed for environments that no longer exist. Sport has been perfecting leadership for centuries. Business is finally ready to learn what the playing field has always known.”
The book launch at Richmond Waterstones takes place today, November 20th, with Francis available for speaking engagements and media interviews.
For more information, visit theuspiregroup.com or augmenta.co.uk
Book Details:
Title: The Captaincy Author: Mark Francis ISBN: 978-1-917534-10-9 Price: $21.99 or £15.99
Launch Date: November 20, 2025
Audio Version: January 2026
Media Contact
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