Inspired by Bill Gates and his concept of ‘Reading Week’ I was able to take time recently and finish a couple of books which had been on my list for far too long.
“Endurance” stands out; as many will know it chronicles Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Anglo-Irish explorer’s 1914-1916 Antarctic Expedition to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.
44 days after leaving South Georgia (an island itself about 1,300 miles from the tip of South America) and only one day’s sail from their destination, their ship, the ‘Endurance’, became stuck in pack ice in the infamous Weddell Sea. They had little choice but to stay with the ship for the next 9 months waiting for the ice to melt. Nature had other plans and the ship sank leaving Shackleton and his 26 crew with 3 small lifeboats and what provisions they could salvage from the Endurance.
Now camped on the ice they had to endure another 4 months of brutal conditions living on seal and penguin meat before being able to set sail to the remote and uninhabited Elephant Island – the closest land. Only 10 days after arriving Shackleton selects 5 men for yet another incredibly dangerous journey to South Georgia – over 800 miles away across some of the most treacherous seas on earth.
After surviving two weeks at sea navigating only by sextant the 6 men somehow manage to land on South Georgia – less than half the size of Crete - but in order to get to the closest inhabited place – a Whaling station, Shackleton and 2 others must attempt the first crossing of an uncharted mountain range – a feat not repeated for another 40 years.
Finally Shackleton makes it to the Stromness Whaling station, and is ultimately able to rescue all of his remaining crew members – some after 3 months and multiple failed attempts.
It is a gripping read in and of itself, but fundamentally – in addition to being a remarkable tribute to human endurance and perseverance this is a book about incredible people leadership.
I doubt any of us will have to deal with freezing seas and surviving on the remains of our sled dogs but facing difficult personal circumstances or leading teams under challenging conditions – ever present.
There are too many great points to list here but a few of Shackleton’s leadership qualities which have inspired me to be a better leader:
Clarity of purpose:
Quickly after the Endurance is trapped in the ice Shackleton pivots from crossing the continent to ensuring the safety and survival of his crew – no small shift given the expectations of expedition backers and the UK public.
Team cohesion:
Shackleton actively created an environment where each crew member felt valued and part of a larger purpose helping ensure unity even in the most dire circumstances.
Team composition:
When he considers who to include in the advance party to South Georgia he pays as much attention to who he leaves behind, and how that may affect the cohesiveness and survivability of that group as to who he takes with him.
Decisiveness:
There are numerous occasions where due to changing weather and other circumstances he has to rapidly make a 180 degree change to plans – he is confident enough in the basis for his change of course to bring his team with him.
Keen to learn what leadership stories have inspired others.
#LeadershipLessons, #ReadingWeek, #DecisionMaking, #TeamCohesion, #PurposeDriven, #AdversityLeadership
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