Pirates and the Navy

Pirates of the Caribbean is a generational classic movie series. The legends, or failures, of Captain Jack Sparrow have lived in the hearts and minds of millions of viewers for years. The journeys of the Black Pearl and the battles against the Royal Navy captured viewers far beyond the seats of the movie theater. Disney even created a ride and experience in Magic Kingdom in honor of the series. People love pirate stories and they love Jack Sparrow. The idea of pirates and the navy fighting in the Caribbean is historic and filled with almost mythic tales. But there is a way to bring this battle back to your own life, today. Do you operate like a pirate or like a navy?

Pirates and their ships operate in a specific way. They have one captain. The legends of Captain Blackbeard, Captain Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart), and the fictitious legends of Captain Jack Sparrow all share the same idea—they were in command. They were the leaders of their ships and their fleets. What they said ultimately was the determining factor of what they did and where they went. There was limited bureaucracy because they were the monarchs of their operations. They were the captains.

A navy operates under a system of rankings and a chain of command. A navy, or any military today, is inherently much more complex than in the Golden Age of Piracy, but both were far more bureaucratic than any pirate vessel. There is a Captain or General, and then many other ranking officers below them. Each ranking signifies more power in deciding the plan of operations. Each lower-ranking soldier must adhere to the orders of a higher-ranking official. There is a need for approval from soldiers ranking above them in order to act. Through this system, there are numerous checks and balances. There are numerous eyes on each decision before the final decision is made. It is a slower and more methodical process before execution. It is a system over an individual.

Operating like a pirate or like a navy are two different ways to lead your life. But there is ample opportunity to deploy both tactics. Acting like a pirate is what leads you to promptly act, to just start, and to make the initial and sudden change. You do not need to plan everything out, you just start moving. Acting like a navy is how you plan ahead, how you map everything out, and how you devise a plan to get to your destination. You have found the steps that make sense to progress, you have a solid sense of direction. Some decisions require you to be the only captain, to be the pirate. Others make more sense for you to converse with your internal chain of command, your generals. A pirate or a navy, which one are you today?