Captaincy | Seth’s Weblog

I’m unsure that is the proper phrase for it, however we definitely want one.

Not ‘entrepreneurship’ which is a definite talent. That time period is often reserved for individuals who begin at zero and get to at least one, and principally for individuals who function in small companies creating monetary worth by means of property and fairness.

However what about the one who navigates an necessary non-profit by means of altering instances?

Or a product supervisor you’ll be able to belief to not solely ship the subsequent answer on time, however to do it with surprising enhancements and a crew that finally ends up higher on account of the journey. Some salespeople have it, guiding a posh transaction, and others don’t.

Captaincy describes somebody who doesn’t simply go to conferences–they modify the result of the assembly. Somebody who doesn’t depend upon authority however is keen to take duty. It’s not about having an awesome thought… it’s about main when the nice thought collides with actuality.

Winston Churchill and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf confirmed up as captains when that talent was actually wanted. So did Alexander Hamilton, for some time.

Captains set the agenda, create rigidity and lean into chance. Captains aren’t simply doing their job, they’re creating one thing that others thought was unlikely. They hardly ever have all of the solutions, however they’re excellent at asking questions.

The distinction between a profitable artist and a painter is that the artist turns into captain of the inventive arc, figuring out the place and when to indicate up and what influence they search to make.

You won’t at all times need to select a captain to hitch the crew. A founder-led group fascinated by succession plans may want to rent a succesful, persistent bureaucrat, somebody who can reliably observe the mannequin that’s already in place. A stressed seek for a brand new drawback to resolve won’t be as helpful as merely doing a very good job on the present issues.

Alas, we don’t train ‘captaining’ at school. Typically, it arises, virtually unintentionally, at school sports activities and golf equipment. In reality, the tradition of highschool often fights to make it go away. We don’t make it straightforward to explain on a resume, and there are not any good exams for it.

It’s a talent, definitely, and finally a alternative. We will mannequin it, assist it and create an organizational tradition that makes it extra more likely to happen.

First, let’s title it and go on the lookout for extra of it.

November 14, 2025