Part Four: The Seven C’s of Why

A Word About Certainty (with a Wink from the Purple Pirate)

If you’ve spent any time with me (or even just survived one of my coffee-fueled rants), you’ll know I bang on about the importance of clarity in business. Not certainty—clarity. Certainty is that tempting mirage on the horizon: always just out of reach, and more likely to get you stuck in the shallows than sailing ahead. Clarity, on the other hand, is your compass—it won’t tell you the weather, but it’ll keep you moving in the right direction.

Let’s not sugar-coat it: chasing certainty is the business equivalent of waiting for the sea to be flat calm before you leave port. Spoiler alert—if you do that, you’ll still be on the dock when everyone else is out catching fish. Research backs this up, but so does a lifetime of my own adventures (and the occasional misadventure).

Your attitude toward decision-making is the wind in your sails—or the anchor round your ankle. And if you’re waiting for everything to be “certain,” you might find yourself marooned, watching opportunity sail by with your competitor waving from the deck.

Now, before you hoist your colours and set off for the Land of Certainty, let me offer a little caveat. The clarity you seek must be rooted in reality. By all means, dream big—reach for the stars—but keep one boot firmly planted on deck. Ambition is grand, but delusion is just a fancy way to walk the plank.

Success, of course, is a slippery fish. For some, it’s being the best in their field; for others, it’s just making it to Friday without falling overboard. My own journey has taken me from military tours (yes, I can still tie a knot that’ll hold in a hurricane), to CEO, to author. Along the way, I’ve learned that waiting for certainty is a sure-fire way to miss the tide.

Here are a few classic temptations you’ll want to avoid if you fancy making it to Success Island with your dignity—and your sense of humour—intact:

Status Over Results: Beware the Siren Song

When the fog of certainty rolls in, ego tends to grab the wheel. Suddenly, status matters more than results. You’ve seen it: the captain more interested in polishing their brass than steering the ship. I’ve watched this play out on both sides of the Atlantic, and research agrees—chasing status and certainty is a fast track to innovation’s Davy Jones’ locker.

People obsessed with their own position are like figureheads—nice to look at, but not much use when there’s a storm brewing. I once saw a business leader so busy protecting their title, they missed a golden opportunity. A junior crew member (less fussed about the pecking order, more focused on results) seized the moment and got promoted. Moral of the story? Don’t let your ego be the anchor.

Popularity Over Accountability: The Mutiny Nobody Wants

Give someone a bit of power and suddenly everyone wants to be the most popular pirate at the party. But in business, trying to keep everyone happy is a sure way to end up walking the plank yourself. When there’s a problem, don’t dilly-dally for fear of ruffling feathers—grab the wheel, chart a new course, and fix it.

Accountability isn’t glamorous, but it does win respect. As Harvard Business School (and every decent first mate) will tell you: popularity is a byproduct of doing the right thing, not of trying to be everyone’s chum. If you want long-term loyalty, be the leader who takes action—even when it stings.

Harmony Over Conflict: The Danger of Nodding Donkeys

We all love a harmonious crew, but beware the curse of the “nodding donkey”—the team that agrees with everything and questions nothing. That’s how you end up with a ship full of yes-men and no new ideas. The best crews I’ve worked with encouraged respectful disagreement. It’s not about mutiny; it’s about making sure your ship doesn’t sail in circles.

Innovation thrives on a bit of creative conflict. So, train your crew to disagree well—no need for cutlasses, just candour.

Invulnerability Over Trust: Drop the Mask

Power and ego can make us want to look invincible—like we’ve got it all figured out. But the truth? We’re all human, and pretending otherwise is exhausting (and about as convincing as a parrot in a business suit). Daniel Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence reminds us: trust is built when leaders show vulnerability. Let your crew see you’re human—they’ll trust you more, and you’ll all weather the storms better.

Beware Your Ego—Don’t Let It Steer the Ship

A little ego is as necessary in business as a sturdy hull is to your ship—it keeps you afloat when the seas get rough. But let it run wild, and your greatest strengths can become your undoing. Confidence, left unchecked, morphs into arrogance. Decisiveness hardens into stubbornness. Even having a sharp wit can turn you into the crew’s resident know-it-all (and trust me, nobody asks that guy to steer during a storm).

The good news? Emotional intelligence isn’t some mystical treasure buried on a distant island. It’s a skill you can learn, polish, and use to keep your ego in check and your strengths working for you, not against you. All it takes is a willingness to learn—and perhaps the occasional reality check from a trusted first mate.

Why Do We Crave Certainty?

According to Daniel Goleman and a whole crew of business sages, it’s the fear of being wrong that keeps us anchored. We worry about what others might say if we chart a course and hit a sandbar. But here’s the thing: if you won’t leave harbour until you’re sure there are no storms, you’ll never leave at all. Fortune, as they say, favours the bold (and occasionally, the slightly seasick).

So, let me ask you:

“If you knew you could not fail, what would you do today that you’re currently not doing?”

If something springs to mind, chances are your need for certainty is keeping you at anchor. Take a moment—really think about it. (And if your answer involves a parrot, a treasure map, and a new business idea, I want to hear about it.)

Reflection: Is Certainty Your Anchor?

Are you letting the need for certainty keep you from setting sail? Is it stopping you from making the decisions that could move you—and your business—forward? If so, maybe it’s time to hoist the anchor, trust your compass, and set a course for new waters.

In Conclusion: Sail by Clarity, Not by Certainty

If you want to chart a course for success (and avoid ending up as a cautionary tale at the next business networking event), remember: an unchecked ego turns strengths into weaknesses. Choose results over status, accountability over popularity, conflict over harmony, and trust over invulnerability. But above all, steer by clarity of vision—not the illusion of certainty.

Here’s a final tip from the captain’s log:

Know when to use windows and when to use mirrors.

When things go wrong, look in the mirror and take responsibility. When things go right, look out the window and share the credit. That’s how you build a loyal crew—and a successful voyage. Too many leaders do the exact opposite, looking in the mirror to offer themselves congratulations and out the window for someone to blame!

Business failure isn’t usually the work of mythical sea monsters. More often, it’s the result of waiting for certainty instead of acting on clarity. The real secret? Keep learning, stay accountable, and use your knowledge to navigate the unknown.

The currency of success is knowledge and what you do with it. So, learn—and then set sail. The world won’t wait for certainty, and neither should you.