In 1914, a great leader began a great expedition, unbeknownst to him that instead of being known as great explorers, they would be known as some of the greatest survivors. This man was Sir Ernest Shackelton and he was determined to be the first to cross the Antarctic. Little did he know, his biggest challenge would end up being his ability to lead his team to survival. He also had no idea that their tale of strength, determination, and courage to survive would influence people well into the 21st century, and the book detailing their stories would be used as a model of leadership. As our group read this book, it was evident that Shackleton was a truly motivated and successful leader as we have come to understand one to be. His ability to successfully lead a team played a significant role in their survival.
In 1915, while amidst their expedition, the ship, Endurance, become lodged in a pack of ice. They tried to wait it out, through a winter of darkness, and even though the Endurance was drifting northward, the ice was too much for the Endurance to withstand. The ice broke the Endurance in half, forcing the dogs and crew off the ship. They would end up spending months trying to find land.
The Endurance party looked death in the face several times yet beating the odds, they survived. While some of their success can be contributed to luck and experience, Shakleton’s leadership is credited with being the factor that saved their lives. Below are the leadership traits that Shackleton exhibited throughout their journey.
Strong Decision Maker
We see initial leadership within Shackleton in his ability to make decisions. With a voyage like this, the decisions made would determine the likelihood of success. From the purchase ...
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...nly able to think about themselves not about what is best for the team. Shackleton was able to disregard selfish thoughts and with a little luck, good leadership, and strategic thinking his team was led to rescue.
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Although it may first appear that Shackleton's greatest perseverance resided in his stamina to endure the harsh marching and sailing that it took to lead his men back to safety, this physical strength was only a small part of the real endurance. No, it was not even in dealing with the chaffing absence of any substitute for toilet paper that Shackleton manifested his endurance, but it was prevalent in his underlying attitude. Endurance is more than just taking the next grueling step; it is maintaining a belief that all efforts3/4 whether they are physical or mental3/4 can improve the future. This incessantly positive attitude is the very foundation of stamina because when there is a will, a sense of self-worth, or a shard of hope, the body and mind will find a way. In addition, a positive attitude will unit...
...ew to the path of being trapped by the ice, he excelled at his decision making. He didn’t believe that one should look back at past mistakes and waste time on regrets, indeed, “Shackleton never wasted time or energy lamenting things that had passed or that he couldn’t change (Morell, pp. 145).” As Shackleton himself said, “A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground (Morell, pp. 145).” This ability to shift quickly and react to new circumstances served him and his crew members well and allowed all of them to save themselves from their icy trap. As Dennis Perkins says in his book, Leading at the Edge, in reference to the last leg of Shackleton’s expedition, “Their heroic journey across South Georgia Island had saved their shipmates. It remains a tribute to unremitting effort—and to the tenacious creativity at The Edge (pp. 148).”
... Macklin recalled “We could see our base, maddening, tantalizing, Shackleton at this time showed one of his sparks of real greatness. He did not rage at all, or show outwardly the slightest sign of disappointment, he told us simply and calmly that we must winter in the Pack, explained its dangers and possibilities: never lost his optimism and prepared for winter.” And because of this calm leadership and optimism he managed to get all of his men back home.
It’s easy to be the one in charge; to be a leader, is the hardest skill to master. Shackleton’s actions of selflessness, obsessiveness and planning ability, demonstrates he was in a rare class of ‘leaders’. The ideals of leadership was one area which Shackleton had mastered; accomplishing one’s ambitions was an area in which Shackleton was never able to master. Although completing ambitions can be an exciting story, sometimes failures are a far superior story. “We knew you’d come back”–quoted an unidentified sailor–was the highest compliment ever paid to Sir Ernest Shackleton–an exemplary leader.
Jocko Willink writes of his experiences as a Navy Seal Commander, sharing the lessons he learned as a leader in intense battle situations. Jocko’s leadership has zero room for error and must be extremely decisive; lives are at stake. For this reason, Jocko must make the
“He promised to write a book later about the trip. He said the rights to the motion pictures and still photographs that would be taken, and he agreed to give a long lecture series on his return. In all these arrangements, there was one basic assumption –that Shackleton would survive”(Lansing, 15). In Endurance, Shackleton was persistent in the way he always stayed positive and was confident in their journey's success. Never once did he sought to give up. Right now I am ...
After the first two expeditions failed due to unknown circumstances, in “April 2000: The Third Expedition,” a new crew o...
Shackleton had the ability to remain positive and focused when faced with ever-changing circumstances. He made decisive ethical decisions, always with his men’s safety in mind. Even when it meant abandonment of his mission. I must improve on my attitude towards change while remaining focused on the mission. The time in now, to stop whining over changes and take ownership of the task at hand. I need to step-up as a leader who embraces change and encourages others to follow. I’m reminded of a time my ship was being tested for its firefighting capabilities. We had failed numerous attempts at our given scenario to which I grew very frustrated. I blamed the junior Petty Officers and Seaman for the way they had performed. However, it was me who was the root cause of the failures. Lack of experience and misguided direction caused my team to fail. Rather than embrace the situation and motivate them, I complained and pointed
Captain Aubrey exhibits and demonstrates leadership characteristics that inspire his crew to be the best that they can be. One of the most important leadership traits that Captain Jack has is a single-minded focus on his purpose. All of his decisions are held up against the g...
The topic of this leadership case study is Ernest Shackleton. This paper will identify the development of Shackleton's leadership skills, provide examples and reflections of his abilities, and relate how he played an essential role in one of history's greatest survival stories. This study of Shackleton's leadership is set loosely within the framework of the five practices of exemplary leadership set forth in The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner, and will focus on the benefits produced by his management of team morale and unity (13).
Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2010). Leadership strengths. Leadership Excellence, 27(1), 9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/204624934
The final patrol for the Tang and crew was very successful just before it would be fatal, as soon as their own torpedo hit the Tang. Throughout the patrols the leadership as well as the crew maintained promises by procuring special food, updated equipment and anything the leadership could do to make life comfortable the crew gave their all. Leadership used historical data as well as new creative ways to maneuver, experience, knowledge from other leaders, and common sense to lead the Tang and crew members to be one of the most successful in the
Shackleton expresses his leadership qualities all throughout the narrative as he embarks on one of the most dangerous expeditions known. The well equipped leader and 27 other men undertake their journey called the Imperial Trans-Atlantic Expedition. This journey required a lot of fundraising as well as planning, which Shackleton put all of his life into. He handpicked all the men in the expedition. Shackleton’s leadership skills are revealed and displayed the crew are faced with many challenges. These challenges include the Endurance sank, to floes splitting. Then to try and reach another destination which resulted in spending days on end without sleep, to finding a place to call real land. Once they became ‘safe’ playing the waiting game
They suffered all kinds of calamities and hardly any food until Shackleton decided to take a boat seven meters with four of his men and navigate along one thousand three hundred kilometers between waves of more than fifteen meters to the island of South Georgia for help . At the end he managed to rescue their comrades none of them died in the expedition. Shackleton was a hero, as anyone can be without the need to cross the South Pole, because throughout our lives we face all kinds of desmids obstacles and breaks couple.
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.