The Incredible Story of Ernest Shackelton’s Expedition to the South Pole – 4 Leadership Lessons To Remember
To be a great leader requires total devotion.
The general public does not usually know his name. However, Ernest Shackleton was an explorer and a long-distance captain. He is a key figure in the many polar expeditions of the early 20th century. The man his sailors called "Boss" was also an exemplary leader of men.
Ernest Shackelton's leadership skills were demonstrated during the Endurance expedition when his ship and crew were trapped in the ice for almost two years.
Shackelton's coolness and courage kept everyone's spirits up and prevented the loss of life. Always close to his troops, capable of training them in extreme conditions, he held firm in the face of uncertainty and defeatism.
He would recount this feat in “South!: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition”. If Shackelton did not succeed in crossing the Antarctic continent to the Ross Sea, as he had planned, he did, on the other hand, accomplish a feat rich in lessons for all budding leaders: taking thirty men to the end of a perilous and uncertain adventure.
Ernest Shackleton was attracted to the oceans and exploration at an early age
The school soon turns out to be a nightmare for young Ernest. Nourished by tales of explorers, he only dreamed of going to sea. At the age of 16, Shackelton signed up for four years as an apprentice on a sailing ship. There he learned the art of navigation and, above all, experienced life as a sailor.
Ernest Shackelton, who was playful and cultured, gradually rose through the ranks on board the ship Discovery, which was to carry out scientific and geographical observations in Antarctica. He became one of the most popular officers among the crew but was eventually sent back to the continent for health reasons.
This failure did not stop Ernest Shackelton. He took his revenge in 1909 by coming within 200 kilometers of the South Pole during the Nimrod expedition. Never before had a man descended so low to the South Pole. This feat earned him the supreme honor of being knighted by King Edward VII.
Always looking for new challenges, Shackelton now wants to cross Antarctica via the Pole
Ernest Shackelton was not satisfied with this achievement. He was already thinking bigger: nothing less than crossing Antarctica via the Pole. Thanks to his fame, the candidates flocked: more than 5,000 applicants applied to be part of the expedition.
Shackelton put together his crew using very personal recruitment methods.
For example, he hired a physician's assistant based on a simple line of thought, after a minute's conversation! The man relies on his intuition and empathy to pick out the personalities who will accompany him.
The Endurance set sail in August 1914. Under the command of Ernest Shackelton, 27 men, including 2 trusted ones, Wild and Worsley. But after a few weeks, the ship was stuck in the ice of South Georgia, at the entrance to the Southern Ocean.
Despite this setback, morale remained high, as the Admiralty representative testified, not failing to emphasize the major role played by Ernest Shackelton:
“It is six months since we left England without any friction. This is all due to the tact and leadership of the expedition leader. We all seem to be a wonderfully happy family. But I think Sir Ernest is the real secret of our understanding.”
The ship is stuck in the ice, but Shackelton manages to keep his team together
The ship finally managed to set sail again. It sailed until December 1914, when it was once again trapped in the middle of the ice pack. The uncertain period begins. Will Ernest Shackelton's ship be able to break free from the ice? Can they be found in this icy desert, battered by winds and snow showers?
Despite the critical situation, Shackelton remains confident.
In his travel diaries, he writes:
“Optimism is pure moral courage.”
Shackelton kept his men together with a high-spirited attitude and planned routine tasks with clockwork regularity. Games are organized, research and scientific exploration continue.
Only one member of the team isolates himself, the Admiralty representative. This does not prevent the man his crew calls 'The Boss' from keeping in touch by visiting him when he is bedridden.
Ernest Shackelton shows adaptability to save his crew from certain death
After six months of immobilization, Ernest Shackelton realized that the ship would not leave. On 21 November 1915, he had to give up all hope: the Endurance was crushed by the pressure of the ice.
The captain and his men had no choice but to set out on the drifting ice floes. They walk at night and rest during the day when the temperatures are more bearable. Their clothes were wet all the time, there were many obstacles and the detours were exhausting.
Shackelton asked them to get rid of unnecessary things and to slaughter the animals. To set an example, the captain throws away his gold watch. The carpenter refuses to kill his cat. Ernest Shackelton publicly reminds him of his commitments.
The carpenter is isolated in his anger and cannot drag the others into his rebellion against Shackelton.
By maintaining rituals and paying attention to each other, Shackelton manages to keep the trust of his men
A new camp is set up after a grueling 18-kilometer walk, covered in a week. The men went back and forth to the stranding site to bring back provisions and canoes. They are exhausted.
To maintain motivation and train the others, Shackleton systematically preceded them in their efforts. He took little rest and, above all, maintained "the strength of ritual, habit, and self-esteem" through collective meals and celebrations, such as Christmas.
On 9 April 1916, their ice floe broke up.
After shooting the dogs, the crew threw themselves into the sea in three lifeboats to seek help. On the stormy seas, icebergs constantly threaten the boats. Sleeping is a torment: the cold, the humidity, the lack of space forbid any rest.
In this ordeal, the strength of the team made a difference. Shackleton made sure that everyone played their part. He paid particular attention to the smooth running of meals and the sleep of the sailors. And when one man is too cold, he orders milk to be heated for everyone.
After five days and nights of crossing, the canoes finally make landfall on Elephant Island (northwest of Antarctica). The chief's concern for the health of his men, exhausted and starving, is at its peak.
At the end of hell, Shackelton manages to save all his men from certain death
Shackelton decided to set sail again with five crew members to reach a whaling port 1,200 kilometers away, beyond the Howling Fifties. The expedition seemed suicidal and the captain was not certain of finding the sailors left on the island alive.
It took the six men 14 days to reach their goal. The final obstacle was crossing the mountain range that separated them from the port of Stromness. With rudimentary equipment, Shackleton and two companions set off. They decided not to sleep so as not to freeze to death.
They arrived at their destination after a journey of 36 hours! Shackleton returned to pick up the rest of the crew on Elephant Island three months later. Even if he did not achieve his initial goal, the "Boss" could pride himself on having saved all his men.
Ernest Shackleton's expedition highlights four key leadership lessons
You have to remember that a leader is both the guarantor of a vision and general cohesion. In the case of Ernest Shackleton, it was a matter of setting a course (first the South Pole, then the return to England) and never deviating from it, while at the same time maintaining team spirit.
Empathy is essential. It is about identifying those who are struggling to keep up. Shackleton will never let the weakest down.
Planning is crucial, as is anticipation, but you have to be adaptable. A leader needs to re-examine his objectives, often and at the right time. On several occasions, Ernest Shackleton saved his men from certain death. For example, by deciding to leave the ship before it was crushed by the ice.
Nurturing hope and inspiring support. Shackleton always listens to the morale of his men. If he felt they were too weak to part with their belongings, he waited for the right moment. And if he sent them to get food on the Endurance when they were exhausted, it was because he knew that it would ease their fatigue.
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