LHRD 3723 Leadership Profile Paper
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An Analysis of Ernest Shackleton's Leadership Tendencies
Grant Stansbury
March 31, 2022
Louisiana State University
LHRD 3723
Dr. Edward Gibbons
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Abstract
Five historical leaders are profiled in Nancy Koen's book Forged in Crisis along with their responses to adversity. Abraham Lincoln, Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Ernest Shackleton were some of these brave leaders. Beginning with the early years of Ernest Shackleton's life, Koehn goes into detail about the progression of his life and how
each experience built upon the one before it. She includes passages from the crew members' diaries that provide firsthand accounts of Shackleton's leadership style as she describes his incredible acts of bravery and courage while facing life-threatening hardship in the frozen continent of Antarctica. Shackleton is the best illustration of how real leaders adjust to their environment and develop in accordance with it when it comes to the debate over whether leaders are born or made.
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Describe in detail the crisis that this historic leader faced.
When his team of 27 men got "trapped on an iceberg off the coast of Antarctica," Ernest Shackleton was faced with the terrifying and impossible task of saving himself (Koehn, page 1). The ship they were on, the Endeavor, sank through the ice and into the icy depths below, trapping
the men. In the months that followed, Shackleton and his crew experienced hardship on numerous occasions in the form of mental and physical suffering.
The text illustrates how, at a particular stage of their physical exhaustion, "Their faces were covered in salt, and their cracked lips and reddened eyes and eyelids were noticeable. Many
people had diarrhea from eating frozen dogpemmican, which is a mixture of meat and fat, and some people were seasick." (Koehn, page 55). Throughout their expedition, the crew was never given the chance to leave Antarctica's bitter cold and harsh weather. All of the men were physically exhausted, but they persisted and maintained their optimism.
Shackleton was the driving force behind the crew's unwavering optimism. He consistently prioritized the needs of those around him over his own, frequently running away from them when he was particularly stressed out or anxious. As described in the text, "The commander tried his best to keep his own stress and frustration from affecting his men. This had a significant cost." (Koehn, p. 47). The men felt hopeless, terrified, and pessimistic that they would be able to survive, proving that the emotional toll of the expedition was no less important than the physical toll. Despite his negative feelings, Shackleton persisted and never stopped motivating those around him.
What early childhood experiences influenced this leader? What early
life experiences
influence their decisions during their respective crisis?
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Ernest Shackleton's leadership style was significantly influenced by his early experiences. Shackleton had consistently performed below average in school, but after discovering true passion at sea, he excelled in his work, as noted in the text. "...supervisors praised his intelligence and skills throughout the early years of Shackleton’s career, noting 'his brother officers considered him to be a very good fellow'." (Koehn, page 19). He had consistently presented the best version of himself to everyone he encountered, as evidenced by his fellow officers' observations of his pleasant and likable demeanor. Later in his life, this tendency would recur in his capacity to remain
upbeat and motivating in the face of adversity that seemed insurmountable.
In the text, the author describes how, as another instance of Shackleton's leadership style being prevalent in his early years "Shackleton frequently felt out of breath, lightheaded, and occasionally on the verge of giving up. However, he remained committed to the group's survival and paid close attention to each of his friends' safety." (Koehn, p. 23) Despite his deteriorating physical condition, Shackleton chose to concentrate on those around him and his duty to them. This selflessness is demonstrated once more by the numerous times he endured physically debilitating pain while leading the expedition and, despite this, spent his most agonizing moments planning how to lighten his crew's loads and get everyone home quickly and safely.
What obstacles did this historic leader face during their crisis? How
did they respond?
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What leadership traits did they exhibit? What was their philosophy
and leadership style?
During their expedition to Antarctica, Ernest Shackleton and his crew encountered incredible hardship. The crew faced severe emotional and physical challenges that had a significant negative impact on them in addition to the obvious adversity represented by the loss of the Endeavor. For instance, Shackleton experienced excruciating pain from sciatica brought
on by the compression of his spinal nerves. There were instances, as the text
outlines, "He was in such pain that he was unable to get out of his sleeping bag. However, even as he lay there, he thought about how to keep the crew's productivity high." (Koehn, p. 47). Shackleton had the best interests of his crew in mind despite the crippling physical pain he was in.
Due to the tight and intense quarters in which they worked; the crew also faced relationship difficulties. Shackleton was once so upset by some of the crew members' lack of dedication to the mission that he, "...gathered the
men and read the clauses [of the Ship's Articles] out loud, making one crucial
change: he declared (especially) that one of these ensured that the Articles hadn't been terminated when the ship was lost. This implied that the men's pay would continue even as the endurance declined. Additionally, it implied that the men had a duty of loyalty to their commander." (Koehn, p. 48-49). Because Shackleton always had the men's best interests in mind, this incident showed that he needed to emphasize that he also expected the same behavior from them. Even though the outcome was grim, if some of 5
the crew gave up midway through the expedition, they would undoubtedly never return home.
How did this historic leader seek to implement their vision? Were they successful? Having
the benefit of hindsight, could they have done anything differently? Given the challenges
they faced, how do you think you would have responded under such pressure?
Ernest Shackleton sought to put his vision into practice through deeds rather than words. One of the interviewees describes how he put together his crew for their mission to Antarctica, saying, "[Shackleton] inquired as to my dental health, the presence of varicose veins, my temper, and my singing ability. He then inquired as to how well my circulation was. One finger, which frequently went dead in cold weather, was the exception, I said. He questioned whether I would really mind losing it. I promised to take that risk. Following that, he extended his hand and said, "Very well, I'll take you."" (Koehn, p. 31).
This excerpt makes it clear that Shackleton sought to enlist men who shared his values. He had known that his words would be ignored by the overworked and exhausted men he worked with
even before the onslaught of adversity he and the crew faced once the mission had started. He therefore always tried to lead by example. He was worried about the physical fitness of the men he hired, but he was also interested in learning through his interview questions whether the men could
sing and if they would mind losing a finger. These inquiries suggested that Shackleton valued the unity and serenity that music can bring, as well as the selfless and self-giving mindset he possessed.
His strategy for carrying out his vision ultimately proved to be very effective, and it influenced his crew to behave similarly, which undoubtedly contributed to the mission's eventual success. Personally, I don't believe I could have responded the same way as Shackleton if I had 6
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been in his shoes. Despite the fact that I take pride in being selfless and sensitive to the needs of those around me, the strain placed on his shoulders during the challenges of his mission would have destroyed me. I am therefore very impressed by his perseverance and greatly respect his leadership style.
What sacrifice did this historic leader have to make?
Ernest Shackleton had to make significant sacrifices to make sure he and his team returned home from their expedition to Antarctica safely. The crew's entire journey and perseverance in the face of difficulty are reflections of Shackleton's selfless character. One sacrifice took place when, as stated in the text, "... [Shackleton] ordered the majority of the dogs to be shot to conserve food because the men could eat three times as much meat from one seal as the dogs could. The team could also prepare stew using dog meat." (Koehn, p. 49)
Shackleton was forced to make the decision on behalf of the crew to kill the dogs that had traveled with them the entire way up until that point. Though he had a difficult time handling his emotions while making this choice, he put the needs of his crew members ahead of those of the animals because he knew it would ultimately be to their benefit. Examples like these demonstrate how committed Shackleton was to meeting the needs of every member of his crew, despite the fact
that doing so frequently required him to make difficult decisions like shooting the crew's dogs.
How did this historic leader manage their emotions?
Throughout his expedition to the Antarctic, Ernest Shackleton exhibited remarkable emotional restraint and maturity. The text frequently refers to him as exhibiting the qualities of constancy, assurance, optimism, and perseverance. One example from the text that perfectly captures his emotional maturity is as follows: "Sir Ernest was constantly on the lookout, and as I sought shelter from the piercing wind in one of the tents, the last thing I saw that night was a 7
somber figure pacing slowly up and down in the shadows. I realized [then] the isolation and cost of
leadership and could not help but admire the calm poise that distinguished his anxiety as he considered his next course of action." (Koehn, p. 42)
It is evident from this account of Shackleton that he was not freed from the humanistic propensities for worry and pessimism. Shackleton, on the other hand, frequently handled these emotions in the manner described in this excerpt: by himself, pacing through the night, tirelessly thinking through a solution to the crew's problems while the other men were free to rest peacefully.
Are leaders born or made?
Ernest Shackleton is the best illustration of how a true leader responds to the challenges at hand and the needs of the crew they are leading when it comes to the question of whether leaders are born or made. His incredible passion for the men on his team, the solutions they sought, and the
Antarctic expedition gave birth to his sense of leadership. The text details how Shackleton, in one of his times of greatest hardship, "...saw the fulfillment of his dream of becoming enduringly famous by walking across Antarctica. He was nevertheless fully committed to his new task: returning his men to civilization in safety." (Koehn, p. 47) This explanation beautifully captures his
spirit of altruism and the passion he felt for those who had joined him on his mission to explore Antarctica.
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References
Koehn, Nancy F. Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent
Times. New York: Scribner, 2017.
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