Reference no: EM133006768

Extreme Leadership at the Bottom of the World: Explorer Ernest Shackleton

Summary

Ernest Shackleton was an early 20th-century explorer. In August 1914, Shackleton set sail to explore the Antarctic in a cross-continent expedition with 27 men to soon find that the voyage would be laden with havoc.

Analysis

The 1914 expedition to cross the continent Antarctica was led by explorer Ernest Shackleton. He led the ship Endurance and 27 men on the voyage. The initial purpose of the journey to cross the continent would soon shift gears as the expedition fell to peril after one natural circumstance to another. Shackleton would instead find himself prioritizing how to get all of his men home alive in the most grave of circumstances.

The 22-month-long expedition tested and tried each member, and utilized every last resource they had while none of the men perished. When it was evident that the Endurance would be buried in the southern ice and sea forever, Shackleton and crew then began to make their way back to a whaling camp by using three small dories over treacherous seas. He eventually left most of the men on an uninhabited island so he and a few crew members could cross another stretch of treacherous sea to find the whaling station on South Georgia Island over 800 miles away. Even when he and his small crew arrived from what was considered a voyage of death, they still had to hike over mountain terrain and glaciers. When they finally walked into the whaling station, their appearance was so ragged that they were hardly recognizable.

It was another 4 months until Shackleton could reach the rest of his crew left on the uninhabited island to survive, but all men returned to their home country alive. The expedition was nothing short of a miracle. While the intent of the journey was not achieved, Shackleton is considered a modern-day heroic leader based on the way he led his men through such an incredible journey where every man survived the unthinkable.

Question 1. Generate a list of virtues demonstrated by Shackleton on the Endurance voyage. How does your list compare to the virtues of extreme leaders presented in the chapter?

Question 2. Do dangerous situations like polar exploration and mountain climbing put a premium on some aspects of character that would be less important in other, more routine contexts?

Question 3. How did Shackleton demonstrate resilience? How did he promote resilience in his men?

Question 4. How did Shackleton act as a transformational leader? A servant leader? An authentic leader?

Question 5. What leadership ethics lessons can we draw from the life of Ernest Shackleton?