The popular film series, Pirates of the Caribbean, provides salient themes of leadership. Leaders of the Caribbean: Lead by the Code analyses leadership styles and behaviours of Captain Jack Sparrow, Hector Barbossa, Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, and Davy Jones among other characters as they lead crews of pirates on treacherous adventures, battle zombies, interact with mermaids, and celebrate over bottles of rum. These stories can provide much in the way of illustrating academic leadership theories to provide examples of leadership ideals that readers can implement in their own organisations.

Kohn and Urick explore, through Pirates of the Caribbean, a range of leadership concepts such as transformational leadership, breaking down dysfunctional hierarchies by creating an equitable workplace and team effectiveness.