What Pirates Have to Teach Us About Leadership
- Zoe Lim
- Jun 1, 2021
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 1, 2021
An interesting article that celebrates the avant-garde leadership style displayed in the 18th Century as compared to merchant ships and sailors which is more hierarchical.
Essentially, this leadership style involves the following;
a. Everyone has an equal voice. Generally, pirates took a vote on everything. This ranges from voting who to be the captain to the roles and duties on the ship.
b. A sense of ownership is powerful. A set of constitution was drafted for each pirate ship. This constitution clearly stipulates the rights and duties of each member. Hence, every individual knows that their actions matter.
c. What matters is skills and commitment, not background. As they sailed across oceans, they pick up members of different race, religion and background. However, individual pirates were valued for their competence and hard work.
These are essential keys to increasing staff engagement on the pirate ship. However, would it work equally well on the merchant ship? Pirates, as compared to sailors, are likely to be much bolder, more outspoken and to have a mind of their own. They are also more likely to belong to the category of "outcast" who had gotten used to being denied and rejected by society. Therefore, this style of leadership suits them perfectly.
On the other hand, perhaps the style of leadership on the merchant ships suit the sailors who may have been playing it safe all along and have been playing within the boundaries of society.
Ultimately, regardless of leadership style, I think spending time to know your crew is a crucial first step.
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