Book Review: Endurance -- Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Sir Ernest Shackleton, and his exemplary leadership, has been the focus of numerous books, articles, and even presentations (see Doug Keeley; The Mark of a Leader; www.themarkofaleader.com).

"Bound for Antarctica, where polar explorer Ernest Shackleton planned to cross on foot the last uncharted continent, the Endurance set sail from England, in August 1914. In January 1915, after battling its way for six weeks through a thousand miles of pack ice and now only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked inside an island of ice. For ten months the ice-moored Endurance drifted northwest before it was finally crushed. But for Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men the ordeal had barely begun. It would end only after a near-miraculous journey by Shackleton and a skeleton crew over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization." (Alfred Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage)

What makes this best seller the definitive account of Shackleton's journey? It is because every effort was made to portray the events exactly as they occurred. Lansing painstakingly utilized every single diary kept by each of the expedition's members. In addition, all of the surviving members at the time of writing submitted to long hours (even days) of interviews with the author.

What makes this book worth reading? It is because Shackleton had a talent -- a genius, even -- that he shared with only a handful of men throughout history -- genuine leadership. He was, as one of his men put it: "The greatest leader that ever came on God's earth bar none."

What are some of the lessons that may be learned from studying Shackleton's journey? You will learn that Shackleton intentionally kept his men busy. There were always tasks to be performed. You will see Shackleton sacrifice his most precious possession because, from studying the outcome of past expeditions, he believed that those that burdened themselves with equipment to meet every contingency had fared much worse than those that had sacrificed total preparedness for speed. You will learn that he was prepared to go to almost any length to keep the party close-knit and under his control. He was concerned that if dissension arose, the party as a whole might not put forth that added ounce of energy which could mean, at a time of crisis, the difference between survival and defeat. You will learn that he was prepared to inconvenience himself in his sleeping arrangements, to keep troublemakers from poisoning the crew. You will learn that he insisted on exactly the same treatment, food, and clothing. He even went out of his way to demonstrate his willingness to do the menial chores. You will learn the importance of optimism and how it set men's souls on fire. You will learn the importance of knowing your employees and how best to utilize their strengths and to diminish the effects of their weaknesses. You will learn that the impossible is possible.

Transformational Servant Leadership Score (0 to 5): 3