Mutiny and Its Bounty: Leadership Lessons from the Age of Discovery

by Patrick J. Murphy, Ray W. Coye

Mutinies in today’s organizations are less violent than the shipboard rebellions of Columbus’s day, but the challenges leaders face are very much the same

Violent mutiny was common in seafaring enterprises during the Age of Discovery—so common, in fact, that dealing with mutineers was an essential skill for captains and other leaders of the time. Mutinies in today’s organizations are much quieter, more social and intellectual, and far less violent, yet the coordinated defiance of authority springs from dissatisfactions very similar to those of long-ago shipboard crews. This highly original book mines seafaring logs and other archives of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century ship captains and discovers instructive lessons for today’s leaders facing challenges to their authority as well as for other members of organizations in which mutinous events occur.
 
The book begins by examining mutinies against great explorer captains of the Age of Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Sebastian Cabot, and Henry Hudson. The authors then identify lessons that entrepreneurs, leaders, and other members may apply to organizational insurrections today. They find, surprisingly, that mutiny may be a force for good in an organization, paving the way to more collaborative leadership and stronger commitment to shared goals and values.

Genres: History

283 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Albert Marsden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mark Corrigan's Business Secrets of the Pharaohs IRL

[Sandra Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I despise books on leadership, self-improvement in the workplace, etc. But I picked up this new book for curiosity about mutiny and interest in seafaring. The first half of the book is historical storytelling about 5 of our most famous sea captains during the Age of Discovery, with a studied examination of their ventures in the context of organizations and their personal approach to leading ventures. We look at the varied styles of leadership while thinking about the uncertainties and risks that lead to effective mutiny on behalf of disgruntled or otherwise aggrieved shipmates. The premise is that mutiny and leadership are two sides of the same coin - each a potential path to organizational success or failure. The second half of the book analyzes the roles of trust and distrust, of uncertainty and times of risk, to discuss how mutiny arises naturally in organizations given specific circumstances. Their multilevel analysis of trust and distrust was easy to understand and is something I will think about in every group dynamic. The authors use Columbus, Hudson, Magellan and others as examples of leadership and the mutinies they caused, suffered, or effectively avoided as a way to think of the role of mutiny and leadership in our own present day organizations and business. It's too bad most leaders of organizations and others aren't likely to find this book accessible because of its heavy emphasis on history, because it powerfully describes and makes useful the tools of leadership and the capacity to incite mutiny when needed - both of which are necessary for navigating any venture. Bravo to the authors for writing this book.

[Ivan Savić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is interesting and well writen. First part describes famous voyages in the age of discovery and their mutinies. The second part tries to explain why and how mutinies happen, but I didn't find it very enlightning or informative, nevertheless it was worth reading.