The Shipbuilder

Five Ancient Principles of Leadership

Jack Myrick

• Publisher: Quill Driver Books
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781610352765
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Management
• Index: Business

Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership is the most critical ingredient in any organization. We all understand the importance of good leadership and know it when we see it, but describing or teaching leadership is elusive at best. A lot is written about leadership and its many philosophies. Words and phrases such as "hierarchal structures," "reframing," "leader charisma," "stewardship," "stakeholders," "lines of authority," "distribution of power," "lateral thinking," "implementation by objective," "systems thinking," "group cohesiveness," and "transactional leadership," get bandied about. Programs that somehow manage to be both complex and imprecise are offered as the path to effective leadership. But is being a good leader really all that complicated? Are there intricate techniques to be analyzed, mastered, and applied? Or, is it that great leaders are born, not made? The answer to these questions is, "absolutely not." With The Shipbuilder, speaker and business leader Jack Myrick shares five simple, time-proven principles that, are guaranteed to make you an extraordinary leader. This delightful business management allegory set in ancient Greece teaches the Five Principles of Leadership.

CHAPTER 1

Marcus Fights Exhaustion

The tranquil sunset falling gently into the turquoise blue waters of the Mediterranean was little comfort to Marcus the shipbuilder as he struggled with a particularly heavy timber. His ship was only half-completed and he was weeks behind schedule. The booming trade business of ancient Greece created more opportunity for shipbuilders than could be met. Yet labor shortages, caused by distant wars, made it extremely difficult to find and keep skilled workers.

Dawn to dusk was a normal day for Marcus. With all his capital tied up in this current project, there was a good possibility he might lose his life savings, as well as his reputation, if the ship under construction was not completed by the agreed upon date.

After his calloused hands swung the hammer for the final time of the day, Marcus looked over the peaceful water. The last rays of the sun were sinking away. Sinking, that’s how he felt almost every waking moment. No matter how hard he worked, he knew he would never finish this ship without more skilled workers to aid him.

He needed a team of forty strong men, but he was lucky if twelve showed up each day. The ones who did show up were lazy and seemed to lack any motivation. Marcus was mentally shot from pushing so hard day after day, and he was physically exhausted from the never-ending hours.

What to do? He had asked that question a thousand times with no answer to follow. Fatigue and fear were his constant companions.

Marcus sat thinking long after the sun had slipped beneath the horizon. As if the darkness weren’t clue enough, the ache in his muscles told him it was time to go home. He would talk to his wife, Arayliss. She provided wisdom and guidance that he often relied upon.

CHAPTER 2

Arayliss Has a Suggestion

Marcus hung his cape on a peg in the corner of his small cottage. His wife and three daughters slept quietly as he removed some stew from a pot still simmering on the fire.

He ate in silence, until he felt a soft warm hand rub his tired neck. “How’s my favorite shipbuilder?” Arayliss asked as she sat down next to her husband.

“Not so well. Only half my crew showed up today, and I feel it’s impossible to meet my deadline, which means we will forfeit all our investment and profit. I don’t know how we’re going to make it,” said Marcus in a concerned voice.

Arayliss took his hand in hers and said, “We’ll make it. We always do.”

They sat for a while just enjoying each other’s presence. Arayliss was the first to break the silence. “Marcus, it seems your biggest problem is finding and keeping skilled workers. Is this correct?”

He grumbled in agreement.

“I’ve heard you mention,” Arayliss said, “that this is also a problem for the other craftsmen and shipbuilders in Athens because of worker shortages.” She thought for a moment and asked, “Is there anyone on the coast who seems to have solved this problem?”

He paused from eating his stew and looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it appears everyone in Athens suffers from this same labor shortage, yet, is there anyone you can think of who has solved this problem and could possibly give you some advice and guidance?”

“I don’t know,” he replied as he considered her question. They sat quietly for a moment. “There is someone I can think of who seems to have no problem finding and keeping workers.”

“Who’s that?” she asked.

“Barnabas, the master shipbuilder. He gets all the large contracts in Athens and seems to have an endless supply of extraordinary workers to help him. They say he’s the best and busiest shipbuilder in the world. I guess if you are the biggest, it’s easier because people want to work for you.”

“Maybe he’s the largest and the best because he knows something the others don’t,” she suggested.

Marcus thought about this a moment. “Maybe so, but he would never agree to see me. I’m his competition.”

“You’re very good at what you do, Marcus my dear, but I doubt Master Barnabas will feel your operation is much of a threat. Besides, you never know until you ask, and it can’t hurt to ask.”

Marcus lay awake that night worrying over his problems and thinking of Arayliss’s idea to ask Barnabas for advice. Would Barnabas ever agree to see him? This was his last thought before finally falling to sleep.

CHAPTER 3

Marcus Bumps into Barnabas

Marcus was on the docks to start planning the day’s work before the sun rose. The ship was starting to take form. The farther along they got, the more detailed the work became, and the more critical it would be to employ more skilled workers.

Julius, his loyal and trusted foreman, arrived shortly after Marcus.

“Good morning, Marcus. It seems we shall need some more short timbers and pitch if we are to continue today.”

“Yes, I believe you are correct, Julius. I shall go to the market as soon as our crew arrives and they get started.”

“I hope those who show up feel inclined to do at least half a day’s work for a full day’s pay,” sneered Julius.

“They are all we have, Julius. Let’s just do the best we can. I’ll see if there are any potential workers at the market when I go to arrange for delivery of our supplies,” said a frustrated Marcus.

The sun was well up into the sky before Marcus’s scraggly crew started to arrive. By midmorning, only ten men had arrived. Quite depressed, Marcus decided to go to the market and take a break from his disappointment. “I shall return after lunch, Julius. Please get done what you can.”

“Yes, Marcus, I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will Julius. That’s all I can ask.”

The market was busy as usual. As far as most of the known world was concerned, Athens was the center of the universe, and the market was the center of Athens. Goods from all over the Mediterranean were available to those who could afford them.

Marcus looked at the olive oil merchant and wondered if the ship he was building would ever carry any of the merchant’s products. “That is, if I ever get it finished,” he thought gloomily.

Maybe he should do as Arayliss suggested and try to talk to Master Barnabas. “Barnabas probably will decline to see me,” Marcus thought, “but, as Arayliss said, it can’t hurt to try. Yes,” Marcus decided, “I will attempt to meet with him right now.”

Lost in thought, Marcus bumped into a small elderly man who had stepped into his path. The older man lost his footing and fell to the dusty ground. Marcus leaped to the man’s aid apologizing for his clumsiness. He helped the man back to his feet.

As the little man rose, Marcus’s heart sank. He realized he had just knocked down the master shipbuilder Barnabas. Marcus stood there speechless and horrified. How could he be so clumsy? How could he be so unlucky? Barnabas brushed himself off and checked for injury. “I am fine young man, but you look at me as if I should have some mortal wound,” Barnabas said, apparently con...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Marcus Fights Exhaustion
• 2. Arayliss Has A Suggestion
• 3. Marcus Bumps into Barnabas
• 4. Barnabas Offers Marcus A Deal
• 5. Marcus Shows his Appreciation
• 6. Marcus Notices A Change Brewing
• 7. The Two Rubies
• 8. The Men Feel the Change Brewing
• 9. Marcus Learns the Value of Influence
• 10. Immediate Respect
• 11. Unearned Love
• 12. An Environment to Thrive In
• 13. The Unifying Principle
• 14. Julius Steps Up
• 15. Marcus Delivers The Ship to The New Owner
• 16. Barnabas Invites Marcus to His Estate
• Practice the Principles
• Five-Week Action Plan