My daughter Hannah introduced me to Dan Snow’s history podcasts. It felt aligned, relevant and absorbing to learn about the first voyage of Captain James Cook, both as a navigator and coloniser, along the eastern coast of Australia, as we drove to Cape Tribulation, on our way north from Cairns and inland from the Great Barrier Reef.
We don’t often hear very much or very often about his leadership style. I found three things in the podcast which really impressed me and made me think.
First of all, he put his money where his mouth is. More specifically, he took a pay cut to enable greater opportunity and to meet a longer term goal. He moved from the Merchant Navy to the Royal Navy, and needed to start at the bottom again on lower pay. He wanted to do things that motivated him the most – exploration, navigation and map making of new territory.
Secondly, he paid attention to the physical and nutritional health of his people. He looked at diet, wanting to avoid scurvy. Sauerkraut was the solution here, although it was unpopular and not eaten. His answer? To ask the senior officers to eat sauerkraut with their meals, in front of the crew. Then, it was desirable, and everyone joined in.
Cook seemed to understand that being too directive as a leader can backfire, going for a more subtle and influencing approach instead.
Finally, Cook seemed to understand that it is essential to treat people equally and fairly. At mealtimes, meat was weighed out, every man got the same amount. And when things got tough, as they did when they got stuck on the coral and their ship HMS Endeavour was badly damaged, everyone worked together – the crew, senior officers and botanists – to keep afloat.
They exceeded his expectations, and with luck with tides, management and effort, survived.
Getting stuck on the coral – an entirely new experience for them – was the most trying part of their expedition. This is why he gave Cape Tribulation – where the rainforest meets the ocean – its name.
It seems to me that Cook acted as a leader over 250 years ago with his crew well before before leadership models had been invented.
I would say that putting your money where your mouth is, looking after the health of your people and treating everyone fairly are seen as characteristics of good leaders today.
Not everything is cosy or comfortable about this story. Colonisation and the treatment of indigenous people are seen very differently now with reparations an important part of moving forward and rightly so. However I am keen to take the good from history too.
So let me ask you, what are the positive things you can take from Captain Cook and use in your leadership style, to develop your high performing team too?
Gill How is an internationally recognised speaker with her keynote “Switch On Your Strengths”, a Leadership Developer and Master Executive Coach.
If you would welcome an exploratory conversation to find out how Gill can help meet your organisation’s goals, get in touch:
“Gill delivered coaching as part of my ILM Leadership programme and, from the very first session, I knew this was not going to be your standard professional training.
She has that rare superpower of making you feel like you’ve simultaneously attended a TED Talk, therapy session, and coffee catch-up with your most insightful friend. With a gift for asking the kind of questions that make you pause and think, “Wait… why do I do that?”, Gill guides you (gently but firmly!) toward real clarity.
What stood out most for me was her emphasis on tapping into your strengths—not the buzzword-laden ones you dust off for interviews, but the raw, real ones you might not even realise you’re carrying. By connecting those strengths to your purpose, Gill doesn’t just teach you how to lead—she helps you understand why you lead.
So, if you’re ready to stop treading water and start swimming in the right direction—with a few good laughs along the way—Gill will certainly get you there!”
Tesshar Robertson, Project Compliance and Operations Manager at FirstGroup plc
Photo Credits: Reef Magic, Unsplash, Gill & Hannah How
