To be honest I did not know much about Sir Ernest Shackleton at
all. In fact I thought he was one of the two guys that raced to get to the
South Pole first, and was interested to learn more. [Needless to say, I know
now that it was Scott and Amundsen.] With that said, I have indeed learnt a lot
more.
What a wonderfully inspirational book on leadership and how
to be a leader in the very precariously uncertain environment of the Antarctic,
with lessons to be learnt and implemented today.
Shackleton was an incredible leader who kept the spirits
high of his team and the importance of a sense of humour despite how dire their
situation seemed.
The book focuses on Shackleton’s values, how he chose and
hired an outstanding team, created a spirit of camaraderie and getting the best
from each individual. Leading effectively in a crisis and forming teams for
tough assignments and finally overcoming obstacles to reach a goal and ultimately
leaving a legacy.
One of the passages that summarises Shackleton’s view on
life and leadership:
Shackleton once summed
up for a friend how he viewed life and leadership. “Some people say it is wrong
to regard life as a game; I don’t think so,” he was quoted as saying. Life to
me means the greatest of all games. The danger lies in treating it as a trivial
game, a game to be taken lightly, and game in which the rules don’t matter
much. The rules matter a great deal . The game has to be played fairly, or it
is no game at all. And even to win the game is not the chief end. He chief end
is to win it honourably and splendidly. To this chief end several things are
necessary. Loyalty is one. Discipline is another. Unselfishness is another.
Courage is another. Optimism is another. And Chivalry is another.”
Recommendable: 8/10
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