4.20

4

Jul 10, 2013

Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:

1- "Shackleton's strategy is the antithesis of the old command-and-control models. His brand of leadership instead values flexibility, teamwork, and individual triumph. It brings back some of the gentlemanliness and decorum of the past, but without the hidden agenda of an exclusionary inner circle. It's business with a human face."

2- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS: -Cultivate a sense of compassion and Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:

1- "Shackleton's strategy is the antithesis of the old command-and-control models. His brand of leadership instead values flexibility, teamwork, and individual triumph. It brings back some of the gentlemanliness and decorum of the past, but without the hidden agenda of an exclusionary inner circle. It's business with a human face."

2- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS: -Cultivate a sense of compassion and responsibility for others. You have a bigger impact on the lives of those under you than you can imagine. - Once you make a career decision, commit to sticking through the tough learning period. -Do your part to help create an upbeat environment at work. A positive and cheerful workplace is important to productivity. -Broaden your cultural and social horizons beyond your usual experiences. Learning to see things from different perspectives will give you greater flexibility in problem solving at work. -In a rapidly changing world, be willing to venture in new directions to seize new opportunities and learn new skills. -Find a way to turn setbacks and failures to your advantage. This would be a good time to step forward on your own. -Be bold in vision and careful in planning. Dare to try something new, but be meticulous enough in your proposal to give your ideas a good chance of succeeding. -Learn from past mistakes—yours and those made by others. Sometimes the best teachers are the bad bosses and the negative experiences. -Never insist on reaching a goal at any cost. It must be achieved at a reasonable expense, without undue hardship for your staff. -Don't be drawn into > public disputes with rivals. Rather, engage in respectful competition. You may need their cooperation someday."

3- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF SELECTING AND ORGANIZING A CREW. -Start with a solid core of workers you know from past jobs or who come recommended by trusted colleagues. -Your No. 2 is your most important hire. Pick one who complements your management style, shows loyalty without being a yes-man, and has a talent for working with others. -Hire those who share your vision. Someone who clashes with your personality or the corporate culture will hinder your work. -Be a creative, unconventional interviewer if you seek creative. unconventional people. Go deeper than job experience and expertise. Ask questions that reveal a candidate's personality, values, and perspective on work and life. -Surround yourself with cheerful, optimistic people. They will reward you with the loyalty and camaraderie vital for success. -Applicants hungriest for the job are apt to work hardest to keep it. -To weed out potential slackers, choose workers who show a willingness to tackle any job, and will take a turn at the unpopular tasks. -Hire those with the talents and expertise you lack. Don't feel threatened by them. They will help you stay on the cutting edge and bring distinction to your organization. -Spell out clearly to new employees the exact duties and requirements of their jobs, and how they will be compensated. Many failed work relationships start with a lack of communication. -To help your staff do top-notch work, give them the best equipment you can afford. Working with outdated, unreliable tools creates an unnecessary burden."

4- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF FORGING A UNITED AND LOYAL TEAM. -Take the time to observe before acting, especially if you are new to the scene. All changes should be aimed at improvements. Don't make changes just for the sake of leaving you mark. -Always keep the door open to your staff members, and be generous with information that affects them. Well-informed i employees are more eager and better prepared to participate. -Establish order and routine on the job so all workers know where they stand and what is expected of them. The discipline makes the staff feel they're in capable hands. -Break down traditional hierarchies and cliques by training workers to do a number of jobs, from the menial to the challenging. -Where possible, have employees work together on certain tasks. It builds trust and respect and even friendship. -Be fair and impartial in meting out compensations, workloads. and punishments. Imbalances make everyone feel uncomfortable, even the favored. -Lead by example. Chip in sometimes to help with the work you're having others do. It gives you the opportunity to set a high standard and shows your respect for the job. -Have regular gatherings to build esprit de corps. These could be informal lunches that allow workers to speak freely outside the office. Or they could be special holiday or anniversary celebrations that let employees relate to each other as people rather than only as colleagues."

5- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF DEVELOPING INDIVIDUAL TALENT. -Create a work environment comfortable enough to entice professionals to spend the greater part of their waking hours there. Allow for some personal preferences. -Be generous with programs that promote the well-being of your staff. Healthy bodies and minds are more productive. -Make sure each employee has challenging and important work. Even the lowest-ranking workers must feel they are making a valuable and appreciated contribution to the company. -Match the person to the position. Be observant of the types of people who are working for you and what jobs might best suit their personalities as well as their experience. -Give consistent feedback on performance. Most workers feel they don't get nearly enough words of praise and encouragement. -Strive for work relationships that have a human as well as professional element. No matter how large your company, get to know as many employees as possible. Memorize their interests so you can chat about something other than work. -Reward the individual as well as the group. Public acknowledgment of a job well done—a birthday or a work anniversary—will make an employee feel appreciated. -Be tolerant. Know each employee's strengths and weaknesses, and set reasonable expectations. Occasionally indulging individuals, even if you think they're being too needy, can have a powerful effect, especially in high-stress situations."

6- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF GETTING THE GROUP THROUGH A CRISIS. -When crisis strikes, immediately address your staff. Take charge of the situation, offer a plan of action, ask for support and show absolute confidence in a positive outcome. -Get rid of unnecessary middle layers of authority. Direct leadership is more efficient in emergency situations. -Plan several options in detail. Get a grasp of the possible consequences of each, always keeping your eye on the big picture. -Streamline supplies and operations so they won't slow you down. -Give your staff an occasional reality check to keep them on course. After time, people will start to treat a crisis situation as business as usual and lose their focus. -Keep your malcontents close to you. Resist your instinct to avoid them and instead try to win them over and gain their support. -Defuse tension. In high-stress situations use humor to put people at ease, and keep your staff busy. -Let go of the past. Don't waste time or energy regretting pa? mistakes or fretting over what you can't change. -Ask for advice and information from a variety of sources, but ultimately make decisions based on your own best judgment. -Let all the people involved in the crisis participate in the solution even if that means doling out some work that is less than vital. -Be patient. Sometimes the best course of action is to do nothing but watch and wait. -Give your staff plenty of time to get used to the idea of an unpopular decision by leaking early details."

7- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF FORMING GROUPS FOR THE TOUGHEST TASKS. -The best way to handle the biggest tasks is often to divide the Staff into teams. Create units that are self-sufficient, but understand they won't all be equal. It is more important that the teams are balanced when considering the big picture. -Make sure you have some cracker-jack groups that can handle the toughest challenges. They can also help others, to ensure mo team falls far behind. -Give the tedious assignments to the workhorses who don't complain. Let them know you are aware that you are giving them an outsized task and that you count on their goodwill and exceptional fortitude to get the job done. -Empower the team leaders so they have the authority to handle their own group, but keep an eye on the details. Never let yourself be surprised by problems down the road. -Don't be afraid to change your mind when you see your plan isn't working. You won't look indecisive if you show the logic of your changes. -Be self-sacrificing. Give whatever perks it is in your power to dispense. -Give a show of confidence in those acting in your stead. It's important that your support staff maintain in your absence the same level of competency you set. -Never point out the weaknesses of individuals in front of others. Often, it's better to let everyone share in a remedy aimed at a few. Chances are, even the strongest will benefit from it."

8- "SHACKLETON'S WAY OF FINDING THE DETERMINATION TO MOVE FORWARD. -Go-for-broke risks become more acceptable as options narrow. Sometimes the potential rewards at the end of a daring venture justify the risk of suffering a spectacular failure. -Seek inspiration in enduring wisdom that has comforted or motivated you or others in times of crisis. It will get you through the most physically and emotionally draining times and help you to keep your perspective. -Congratulate yourself and others for a job well done. A pat on the back or a sincere handshake is an expression of personal thanks and gratitude that has never gone out of fashion. -Motivate your staff to be independent. If you have been a good leader, they will have the determination to succeed on their own. -Let your staff inspire you. At times, an overwhelming workload may force you to consider lowering your standards. Remember that the final product must represent the best efforts of the entire group. -Even in the most stressful situations, don't forget that you are part of a larger world that might benefit from your expertise. In turn, participating in community and family activities can give you skills useful on the job. -Make sure the whole job is done. Your staff may be able to call it quits after the heavy lifting is over, but you are responsible for seeing the work through to its successful completion."

9- "SHACKLETON'S THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP. -'There are lots of good things in the world, but I'm not sure that comradeship is not the best of them all—to know that you can do something big for another chap." -"Optimism is true moral courage." -"Leadership is a fine thing, but it has its penalties. And the greatest penalty is loneliness." -'A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground." -'The loyalty of your men is a sacred trust you carry. It is something which must never be betrayed, something you must live up to." -"I have often marveled at the thin fine which separates success from failure." -'You often have to hide from them not only the truth, but your feelings about the truth. You may know that the facts are dead against you, but you mustn't say so." -'If you're a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you've got to keep going." ...more

5

Jun 15, 2018

I generally do not like historic tales and was hesitant at first to give this book a try. A little ways into the book I was about to call it quits, but given how short it was I decided to continue. This turned out to be a great decision.

The story is told from the perspective of many people that were on the failed (if you can call it that) voyage. Bits of personal journals, interviews, etc. all combine to tell an incredibly fascinating story of personal triumph in the most dire of situations. I generally do not like historic tales and was hesitant at first to give this book a try. A little ways into the book I was about to call it quits, but given how short it was I decided to continue. This turned out to be a great decision.

The story is told from the perspective of many people that were on the failed (if you can call it that) voyage. Bits of personal journals, interviews, etc. all combine to tell an incredibly fascinating story of personal triumph in the most dire of situations. Intertwined with this story (which could make an exciting Hollywood movie), are various leadership skills/qualities that ultimately saved many lives.

Although the story is told chronologically, each chapter is still somehow able to focus on a specific leadership lesson, which is rather impressive. Each chapter also contains a brief 1/2 page summary of these lessons.

If you're looking for a book about leadership, while also telling a riveting story, this is a must read. I particularly enjoyed the fact that these leadership lessons were not based in a business setting, but one could easily find the parallels.

...more

4

Nov 10, 2014

Shackleton was an amazing man and I appreciated how this book wove his personal accomplishments and leadership qualities with the biography of his life.

4

Oct 14, 2018

Shackleton is my new hero! Great book uncovering a new-to-me legend using the lens of modern leadership theory. Practical lessons for anyone working on a team of any kind.

5

Jan 13, 2016

Took me 6 months to finish this, but Shackleton is definitely worth studying. It doesn't matter so much that you read this cover to cover, but at the very least read the end of chapter summaries with applications of how executives/leaders today are applying the model of leadership Shackleton set. Lots of nuggets to remember; my favorite quote is, "Optimism is true moral courage." The last two paragraphs of this book really drove the whole point of how well Shackleton led: He never achieved many Took me 6 months to finish this, but Shackleton is definitely worth studying. It doesn't matter so much that you read this cover to cover, but at the very least read the end of chapter summaries with applications of how executives/leaders today are applying the model of leadership Shackleton set. Lots of nuggets to remember; my favorite quote is, "Optimism is true moral courage." The last two paragraphs of this book really drove the whole point of how well Shackleton led: He never achieved many of his goals, yet he is admired today because of his relentless drive to push forward, remain optimistic, be energetic and courageous and prioritize camaraderie. I would recommend to start learning about Shackleton by watching the short Netflix documentary series called Chasing Shackleton, and pursue your study of him from there if your interest is piqued. ...more

2

Sep 19, 2012

The best thing about this book was the font in which it was printed. Versailles. It was beautiful and so airy and easy to read. But enough about that.

Shackleton's Way is about the famous Antarctic explorer at the beginning of the 20th century. He goes down in history as a great leader and is often referenced in leadership talks and seminars. This book acts as both a biography and a leadership book. It fails at both.

The book is set up like this: (1) leadership lessons as headings such as The best thing about this book was the font in which it was printed. Versailles. It was beautiful and so airy and easy to read. But enough about that.

Shackleton's Way is about the famous Antarctic explorer at the beginning of the 20th century. He goes down in history as a great leader and is often referenced in leadership talks and seminars. This book acts as both a biography and a leadership book. It fails at both.

The book is set up like this: (1) leadership lessons as headings such as "Shackleton matched personality types with work responsibilities" and "Shackleton never pointed out the weak links in his crew;" (2) a short vignette demonstrating that lesson; (3) a list of the lessons learned for each chapter; and (4) a section titled "Working It In" at the end of each chapter that discussed how a present day leader was inspired by Shackleton. The problem with this format is that it breaks up the story. It would've been much better if the story had been told and reflected upon rather than broken into such little chunks. It was disruptive. Then there were the lessons themselves. The authors were so concerned with making everything Shackleton did a leadership lesson (because they were constricted by their own formatting) that they got a tad trite.

There is a great story here. There are also some great lessons to be learned. This format accomplished neither particularly well. And by the authors' account, Shackleton did everything perfectly; he had been a god among men. It got a little tiring reading a story about a man with no flaws. ...more

5

Mar 29, 2012

Over the years history has come to regard Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton as an explorer of the first rate, eclipsing both Roald Amundson - who may have made polar exploration look too easy when he achieved the South Pole without incident in 1911, and Robert Falcon Scott - who for reasons only the British can explain, was celebrated for reaching the South Pole in 1912, a month after Amundson, and then dying of scurvy, privation, and exposure with his entire party on the return trip.

Shackleton made Over the years history has come to regard Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton as an explorer of the first rate, eclipsing both Roald Amundson - who may have made polar exploration look too easy when he achieved the South Pole without incident in 1911, and Robert Falcon Scott - who for reasons only the British can explain, was celebrated for reaching the South Pole in 1912, a month after Amundson, and then dying of scurvy, privation, and exposure with his entire party on the return trip.

Shackleton made several Antarctic forays. Shackleton was invalided home after falling ill during Scott's unsuccessful attempt to reach the South Pole in 1903. Leading his own expedition in 1909 Shackleton turned his team back from the Pole with only 97 miles to go, knowing his party could reach its goal but that they would almost certainly perish on the way home. Once Amundsen succeeded in his technically adept attack on the Pole, Shackleton set his sights on traveling across Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. Before reaching the starting point his ship, the Endurance, was trapped in the pack ice in 1914 and then sunk in 1915. He led his 27 men onto the ice for several more months, then into the ice-clogged sea in lifeboats, before reaching the relative safety of barren Elephant Island. Chances of accidental rescue on Elephant Island were nil so Shackleton and a small party sailed the lifeboat "James Caird" 600 miles to South Georgia Island. Every one of his Endurance team survived this harrowing adventure.

Authors Margaret Morrell and Stephanie Capparell have reimagined Shackleton as an example for corporate leadership. To do so they gloss over his failures as a businessman between expeditions as well as his shortcomings as a husband. A ten year old dustcover blurb comparing Shackleton to Jack Welch and Michael Dell is ironic now.

As a leader in challenging circumstances Shackleton did in fact have many admirable traits and the authors do a fine job of illuminating the leadership skills evident in Shackleton's career, particularly during the voyage of the Endurance. Shackleton was a tough man, a gifted leader, and an interesting character. Shackleton's Way draws parallels between his short life and our 21st century challenges. Examples are given of the effect Shackleton's story has had on modern business leaders but the most compelling are those offered by military leaders and Jim Lovell, Commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, another successful failure.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who served under both Scott and Shackleton, is most famous for having said "For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time". ...more

5

Aug 02, 2017

Outstanding book. ties Shackleton's behavior to leadership skills that everyone can use.

4

Jan 19, 2019

Great book about a harrowing historical episode, and a compelling read for anyone who wants to be inspired to rise above and tap into their ability to lead and inspire others to follow them.

4

Jul 01, 2017

one of the rare books that explains leadership under extreme crisis with real example that is not just anecdotal. most recommended.

3

May 19, 2018

Interesting concepts but the writing is dry and difficult to follow.

5

Nov 04, 2016

An excellent read. Analysis of the ill fated expedition with insightful commentary. One of the best leadership books.

3

Sep 29, 2017

It took me longer than expected to get through this but I'm glad I finished it. Great leadership lessons plus the story of Shackleton and his crew really made it worth while.

5

Sep 23, 2018

actually good to understand further a legendary character such as Shackleton

3

Mar 06, 2019

I had to read this for work. It was a decent overview of Shackleton’s famous expedition but I thought the management lessons were a little forced.

5

Nov 12, 2018

Engaging stories of exploration that give effective life and leadership lessons. The anecdotal stories from current leaders can be skipped

5

Feb 21, 2019

An inspiring book on what makes an excellent leader, as observed through the life of Ernest Shackleton. Even though the events in the book occurred 100 years ago, the principles are very timely and relevant for today.

5

Aug 28, 2019

If you're not familar with Shackleton's leadership principles, you need to be. Don't count out any of your people when you face a tough challenge. Support everyone and give them the best chance to succeed. Great foundational tinking for rising leaders at any level.

4

Dec 17, 2018

Great insight and breakdowns of Shackleton's leadership style. As I'm uninterested in business I appreciated the little that Morrell went into for how the style of Shackleton could benefit in business positions, though I could see people wanting more out of that side of the book being left unfulfilled.

Overall a wonderful and concise book detailing the remarkable leadership qualities of a legend. Margot Morrell wrote the story with a quick, meaningful and exciting voice giving Shackleton all due Great insight and breakdowns of Shackleton's leadership style. As I'm uninterested in business I appreciated the little that Morrell went into for how the style of Shackleton could benefit in business positions, though I could see people wanting more out of that side of the book being left unfulfilled.

Overall a wonderful and concise book detailing the remarkable leadership qualities of a legend. Margot Morrell wrote the story with a quick, meaningful and exciting voice giving Shackleton all due respect. ...more

4

Jun 24, 2018

When I get asked for book recommendations on management and leadership I usually include Andy Grove’s “High Output Management”, Eli Goldratt’s “The Goal”, Stanley McChrystal’s “Team of Teams”, Karl Albrecht’s “The Northbound Train”, and more recently Ray Dalio’s “Principles” (skip to 2nd part of the book). I’ll now include “Shackleton’s Way” which is meticulously researched and includes leadership principles from Ernest Shackleton’s Arctic exploration distilled from his journal and those of his When I get asked for book recommendations on management and leadership I usually include Andy Grove’s “High Output Management”, Eli Goldratt’s “The Goal”, Stanley McChrystal’s “Team of Teams”, Karl Albrecht’s “The Northbound Train”, and more recently Ray Dalio’s “Principles” (skip to 2nd part of the book). I’ll now include “Shackleton’s Way” which is meticulously researched and includes leadership principles from Ernest Shackleton’s Arctic exploration distilled from his journal and those of his crew. ...more

5

Aug 11, 2019

This book was superb - gave me a new way of looking at Servant Leadership (from 100+ years ago!)

I also found it compelling that Shackleton, doing one of the most macho things (exploring the Antarctic for years) displayed by his own admission many "feminine leadership" qualities, in how he looked after his men, with concern, love, praise, and self-sacrifice.

This book was also a significant validation of one of my own opinions - that top leaders concentrate greatly on optimism, and rather than This book was superb - gave me a new way of looking at Servant Leadership (from 100+ years ago!)

I also found it compelling that Shackleton, doing one of the most macho things (exploring the Antarctic for years) displayed by his own admission many "feminine leadership" qualities, in how he looked after his men, with concern, love, praise, and self-sacrifice.

This book was also a significant validation of one of my own opinions - that top leaders concentrate greatly on optimism, and rather than this be considered naive, it should be viewed as one of the most courageous traits to practice.

This book will alter how I lead and what coaching I provide to others in their own leadership. ...more

5

Nov 08, 2019

The remarkable story of a Irish-English explorer who probably is the best leader that this earth has ever seen. In times when so many exploration missions were finishing in tragedy, Shackleton’s ship got trapped in Antarctica and sunk leaving him and his crew of 28 men on the ice for 2 years. Shackleton kept all his men alive though great leadership and successfully accomplished the longest travel on a small boat even made, 800 miles across the dangerous Southern Ocean to reach the closest The remarkable story of a Irish-English explorer who probably is the best leader that this earth has ever seen. In times when so many exploration missions were finishing in tragedy, Shackleton’s ship got trapped in Antarctica and sunk leaving him and his crew of 28 men on the ice for 2 years. Shackleton kept all his men alive though great leadership and successfully accomplished the longest travel on a small boat even made, 800 miles across the dangerous Southern Ocean to reach the closest inhabited island and eventually save all his men. An extraordinary adventure and great leadership lesson. ...more

3

Nov 07, 2018

The core lessons in this book is what saves it, but honestly if you just read the pages with bullet point recaps, you will get just as much out of the book in a fraction of the time. I understand this book is a memorialization of Shackleton, but he is painted as if he has no faults throughout the book. The book reiterates the same points over and over and grows monotonous. The author could have done a much better job of weaving the story together with the lessons. I agree with Shackleton’s The core lessons in this book is what saves it, but honestly if you just read the pages with bullet point recaps, you will get just as much out of the book in a fraction of the time. I understand this book is a memorialization of Shackleton, but he is painted as if he has no faults throughout the book. The book reiterates the same points over and over and grows monotonous. The author could have done a much better job of weaving the story together with the lessons. I agree with Shackleton’s leadership philosophy and the points driven home ring true. Unfortunately, the delivery left much to be desired. ...more

3

Mar 17, 2017

I had to read this for a management course. It's a very interesting story and shows a lot of useful leadership's tactics, but it's also a tedious and repetitive read. By the end of the book, I was so happy to be done being told how amazing this guy was. I understand it's being told to memorialize this guy, as well as show the things you can learn from him, but after 200 pages of, "This guy was really great. No, not just great. Incredible. Do you understand how great he was? Everyone loved him, I had to read this for a management course. It's a very interesting story and shows a lot of useful leadership's tactics, but it's also a tedious and repetitive read. By the end of the book, I was so happy to be done being told how amazing this guy was. I understand it's being told to memorialize this guy, as well as show the things you can learn from him, but after 200 pages of, "This guy was really great. No, not just great. Incredible. Do you understand how great he was? Everyone loved him, and he never made mistakes. He was basically a god among men. Have you grasped that yet? Good. Let's read more of how genius this dude was." ...more

4

Feb 13, 2018

I read this book as part of a project for one of my college courses. Unbelievably, I had never heard of Ernest Shackleton prior to this. He was a pioneer in Antarctic exploration, but is arguable more famous for getting his entire crew home alive after being stranded on the ice shelf around Antarctica for nearly two years following the sinking of their ship. The story reads like an incredible action/adventure movie.
As the title says, this book is focused on Shackleton's leadership abilities. I read this book as part of a project for one of my college courses. Unbelievably, I had never heard of Ernest Shackleton prior to this. He was a pioneer in Antarctic exploration, but is arguable more famous for getting his entire crew home alive after being stranded on the ice shelf around Antarctica for nearly two years following the sinking of their ship. The story reads like an incredible action/adventure movie.
As the title says, this book is focused on Shackleton's leadership abilities. Shackleton had an incredible gift that allowed him to befriend, earn trust, and problem solve in remarkable ways. Anyone, whether in a leadership position or not, would do well to read this book. There are lessons here that, if appropriately applied, would be very beneficial in most settings. ...more