10. “YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK.” 

This common phrase links directly to Blackbeard and his crew. By hiring pirates with experience and steadfast loyalty to him, Blackbeard ensured that there would be no “weak spots” in his fleet. Blackbeard’s crew was highly trained and operated in an organized fashion. Each person held a position ranging from first mate to officer to deckhand. Much like today’s corporate environment, crew members would be promoted based on their actions, and higher positions in the crew received higher payments. This gave his crew the ability to excel and the motive to move up to profit more. Blackbeard’s crew also held a supreme allegiance to Blackbeard. Not once did any member of Blackbeard’s crew commit the act of mutiny or even question his rule. In fact, even after Blackbeard’s death, one of his pirates, a black man named Caesar, attempted to carry out one of Blackbeard’s final wishes. This was to blow up Lieutenant Maynard’s ship, “Adventure.” Unfortunately for him, he was caught and hung, as were all of Blackbeard’s crew in 1719.

It is often easy to get caught up in the moment. You may have your nose to the grindstone or–become too comfortable and forget to keep your eyes off the compass. A successful business requires constant monitoring and adjustment. Too much comfort quickly initiates chaos.

Take Aways

Blackbeard would have been far less successful without a strategy and would likely have been killed long before 1718. 

This is demonstrated when you analyze the success of other pirates of the time who simply attacked. Most pirates of the time lasted only a few months or retired quickly. This is because they needed a well-thought-out, strategic brand positioning plan. Most pirates would approach ships and try to take them over via firepower and force. This gives the victim ship more time to prepare for the fight and a higher chance of defeating the attacking pirate vessel or escaping. 

So, in mastering the art of trickery and deception, Blackbeard struck through wit and not brute force. He was able to attack when least expected and preserve ammunition as well as manpower. 

He kept his victims vulnerable and oblivious so that when Blackbeard raised the pirate flag and demanded surrender. They had no choice but to comply or to be attacked. Ironically, Maynard used Blackbeard’s own method of surprise attack to kill him. By striking while Blackbeard was partying and drunk with friends, Maynard caught him off guard and could easily win rather than risk defeat.

When harnessed, reputation can be used to passively conquer all. When reputation is spread, stories and legends follow. 

This creates indirect propaganda and a general feeling of terror that leaves victims with no choice but to comply. Blackbeard embraced the evil stories and devilish persona affiliated with himself. In fact, he used it as his weapon of choice. He created a superhuman appearance by dressing the part and doing uncanny things, such as lighting his hat and beard on fire. This terrified people and led them to do whatever he asked. He was treated like the god of the underworld because everyone feared that defying his requests and orders would lead to an ever-certain death. He was feared to the point where government officials refused to hunt him down for fear of their lives. He held a spot above the law because people dared not to question his power. This was all because he had created a consistent brand message and mastered the art of making a horror reputation, scaring everyone into compliance.

–Douglas & Foster Eymer