Pirate captain know that they can only sail a ship with the good will of her crew. Captains can command only if a crew is willing to follow. Captains can only control in small ways...but will only create chaos if control is the goal. I see thie time and time again at institutions, leaders want to control and hence command behaviors thinking that this will result in an more efficient, streamlined and successful organization.
The reality is that control is an illusion that results in a less creative organizaiton. The crew will perform at the letter of the law if the law if brutally enforced. The captain has to trust the crew to trim the sails, to work the sheets, to adapt to the needs of the ship. If the weather changes abruptly, the wind shifts or the seas become rough, and the crew needs to adapt.
The only way to successfuly sail is to trask the crew with sailing the ship, learning the skills they need to learn, and taking responsilibity for the their area of work. The captain can lead by resonnace and vision, but never by control.
Honoring
8 years ago
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