One leader from history that I would like to bring up and discuss is Ernest Shackleton, one of the last great explorers. Shackleton and his famed Trans-Atlantic Expedition were the stage for his leadership style to prove its strength in the face of impossible odds, and he delivered a superhuman performance.
Shackleton was a British national who worked his way up through the Merchant Navy to gain a reputation in the world of British seafarers. From this reputation he then was selected to go on a couple of expeditions to the Antarctic, the last unexplored region of the globe at this point (c. AD 1905). After missing the race to the South Pole between the explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, Hemmingway decided he would attempt the last great expedition, crossing Antarctica. In 1914 Shackleton finally had the funding to realize this dream expedition, one that would turn out very different than he had planned.
Shackleton prepared for a rough, cold, and weary journey across the last unconquered continent, but could not have imagined the trials that he and his crew would face. His ship, the Endurance, left from South Georgia to became trapped in floating ice near the shore, at which point he demanded that regular ship routine was to be abandoned and that it be converted into a winter base. When the ship's integrity failed, Shackleton organized the abandonment of the ship and move to a makeshift camp on an ice floe. As the ice floe drifted, Shackleton lead the crew to move yet again to Elephant island by way of the life boats they salvaged from the original trip, all while in the dangerous south seas. Shackleton, captained one of the lifeboats from Elephant Island all the way back to South Georgia. Landing on the opposite side of the island than the inhabited one, and in a last heroic venture, made it back in time to send a rescue party for the rest of the crew back on Elephant Island.
These are ridiculous accomplishments. The original plan to cross the Antarctic was an insane goal to have (I was cold enough at the Indiana game last year) but to survive a much longer journey in circumstances that changed drastically and dangerously with every leg of the trip is down-right incredible. But it was not just luck that got Shackleton's crew (and one stowaway, an extra mouth to feed) through this entire journey without a single mortality. It was Shackleton's specific blend of leadership that brought his crew through in the end.
I thought that including all of this backstory might help explain why I believe Shackleton was an example of a near-ideal leader. He had the correct leadership strategy and attitude for the situation that presented itself, in this case, a deadly and painful journey through the antarctic. He made a point of loosening traditional hierarchies found on these kinds of expeditions in the past. He understood that the most important quality for his expedition was camaraderie and morale. He was flexible and valued the group over himself, constantly giving of himself for the sake of the crew whether it be his rations or his sleep. He fully understood the changing needs of the group as they transferred from ship to base to ice to sea with just one minor revolt that he handled as well. He adapted to lead through it all in the face of an indefinite future, with minimal resources, and still fostered the most important resource, hope. A leader that can selflessly make his followers believe and press on in the face of impossible odds is the best leader.
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