{"id":8650,"date":"2026-08-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/?p=8650"},"modified":"2026-08-04T14:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:48:28","slug":"what-the-last-ship-reminded-me-about-running-a-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.completemarketingsystems.com\/cms\/what-the-last-ship-reminded-me-about-running-a-business","title":{"rendered":"What The Last Ship Reminded Me About Running a Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I just finished watching the TV series The Last Ship<\/em> (on Netflix). If you haven’t seen it, it\u2019s about a Navy destroyer at sea when a global pandemic wipes out much of the world’s population. The crew suddenly finds themselves responsible for far more than just sailing a ship. They’re making life-and-death decisions, protecting the people around them, adapting to a world that’s changing by the hour, and trying to accomplish a mission with very little information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I watched, I realized this isn’t a show about a ship.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It’s a show about leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As business owners, we often find ourselves waiting until we have all the information before making a decision. We want more data.<\/strong> More certainty.<\/strong> More reassurance<\/strong> that we’re making the “right” choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that business rarely gives us that luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markets change. <\/strong>Customers change. Technology changes. Competitors change. If you wait until you know everything, you’re already behind.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the things I admired most about Captain Tom Chandler was he didn’t confuse uncertainty with inaction. He gathered the best information available, consulted the people around him, made a decision, communicated it clearly, and then adjusted when new information became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s exactly what effective leaders<\/strong> do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not because they’re always right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because they understand that momentum beats perfection.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see so many business owners who spend months planning instead of executing.<\/strong> They tweak<\/strong> websites that are already good enough. They rewrite<\/strong> marketing copy for the tenth time. They buy another course hoping someone will finally hand them the perfect answer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the businesses that are winning are the ones that are taking action, measuring results,<\/strong> making adjustments, <\/strong>and continuing to move forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing that stood out to me was the absolute clarity of the mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what obstacle the crew faced, everyone understood the objective.<\/strong> Every decision was filtered through that mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s something many businesses are missing today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having one clear mission, they’re chasing every new shiny object <\/strong>that pops up. <\/strong>One week it’s AI. The next week it’s the newest social media platform. Then it’s some marketing tactic that promises overnight success.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of those things are bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they’re not strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have a clear mission, <\/strong>it’s much easier to decide what deserves your attention and what doesn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show also reminded me why I’ve spent so much of my career helping businesses build systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On The Last Ship,<\/em> every crew member knows their role. There are procedures<\/strong> for almost everything.<\/strong> People communicate.<\/strong> They train.<\/strong> They practice.<\/strong> They trust <\/strong>one another. Systems don’t eliminate problems<\/strong>\u2026they make it possible to solve<\/strong> them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business works exactly the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When everything is running smoothly, systems can feel boring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When something goes wrong, they’re priceless.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it’s onboarding a new client, following up with prospects, delivering your product or service, or managing your marketing, systems create consistency.<\/strong> They allow your business to keep moving, even when things become unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I couldn’t help but notice something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The captain isn’t the smartest person on the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He’s simply the person responsible<\/strong> for bringing together the smartest people, listening to their expertise,<\/strong> making decisions, and keeping everyone focused<\/strong> on the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too many entrepreneurs think leadership means having all the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means creating an environment where good decisions<\/strong> can be made, where people know what’s expected<\/strong> of them, and where everyone understands the mission<\/strong> they’re working toward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you’re leading a team of two or two hundred, those principles never change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching The Last Ship<\/em> reminded me that businesses don’t succeed because everything goes according to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They succeed because leaders stay calm during uncertainty,<\/strong> communicate clearly, trust their systems,<\/strong> rely on their people, and keep moving forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storms are inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How well you’ve prepared<\/strong> for them determines whether you simply survive or come out stronger on the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Your Success \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I just finished watching the TV series The Last Ship (on Netflix). If you haven’t seen it, it\u2019s about a Navy destroyer at sea when a global pandemic wipes out much of the world’s population. The crew suddenly finds themselves responsible for far more than just sailing a ship. They’re making life-and-death decisions, protecting the…<\/p>\n

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