It has been said that Steve Jobs used to say, "It's more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy."  This speaks to the kind of team and team behavior he admired.  Of course all organizations seek the best and the brightest people, particularly for their innovation and new product development, but Steve took the idea a big step further.  He knew something about the good traits of pirates of old...  

*    They can function without a bureaucracy.   

*    Pirates support one another and support their leader in the accomplishment of a goal.  

*    A pirate can stay creative and on task in a difficult or hostile environment.  

*    A pirate can act independently and take intelligent risks, but always does so within the scope of the greater vision and the needs of the greater team. 

*    Pirates are more likely to embrace change and challenge convention.        

Steve's message was: if you're bright, but you prefer the size and structure and traditions of the navy, go join IBM.  If you're bright and think different and are willing to go for it as part of a special, unified, and unconventional team, be a pirate at Apple. 

In Tampa our Gasparilla pirates are some of the most respected social, civic and business people in town.  It makes sense as Jose Gaspar, who was an aristocrat by birth and officer in the Spanish Navy, was well-educated, possessed courtly manners and had all the appearances of a fine gentleman.  He was a faithful friend and expressed kindness to those he held dear.

So it might make sense for you to think about how to find your own inner pirate and think about hiring pirates too.  You can find a pirate anywhere and you should always be looking.  Look for people with diverse backgrounds and don't follow the "norm". Instead, look to recruit the friends and acquaintances of existing team members.  Many times they are likely to fit with the team and share many of the same values.      

Given my love of sailing, you can imagine that the Gasparilla festivities are a high point of my year.  I like the idea of the pirate spirit because I am  always looking for sharp minds for our company that I can celebrate and recruit at the same time.  Oh, how I love efficiencies!