The Myth of Age
Breaking age stereotypes in pursuit of effective leadership
In the vast expanse of historical fiction, tales of the Age of Sail have a timeless allure. The clash of beautiful sailing ships, a dance of violence and beauty, has captivated imaginations for generations.
I grew up on these narratives, too, dreaming of long-vanished days when lines of gorgeous sailing ships bore down on each other to dish out death and destruction. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of violence and beauty that caught my attention, or maybe it was just the old-fashioned swashbuckling sense of adventure that appealed to this once land-locked teenager, but whatever it was, historical sea fiction was a part of my formative years.
One of the tropes of those novels, then and now, is the notion of the “young dashing frigate captain” sailing his fast hunter-killer warship into harm’s way, against the orders or advice of the sclerotic old-fashioned admiral sitting safely in port or on his heavy ship-of-the-line, hopelessly behind both the times and his young protege captain.
This basic plot point shows up in stories set in ancient Rome on the one hand, all the way through to detective fiction set in 20th century Europe. The young hero, full of vitality, innovative ideas and dash, has to battle against not only the outward enemy, but…
