Leadership Lessons from History

On his return from the Nimrod Expedition, Sir Earnest Shackleton famously remarked to his wife that he thought she would "rather have a live ass than a dead lion.” He made this remark because, even though he and his men were only 97.5 nautical miles from their goal, the South Pole, he made the courageous decision to turn back in order to preserve their lives.

I have often wondered what Shackleton was thinking when he made this comment. Did he want to be ‘a lion’ and was he regretting his decision? By referring to himself as an ‘ass’ did he believe that he had made the wrong decision? Ultimately Shackleton carried full responsibility for his team and made the decision to prioritise their lives over the mission - a truly compassionate leader!

So what are the leadership lessons that we can learn from this important piece of history?

Here are my top four lessons that are just as relevant for effective leadership today:

1. Lead by example and never ask your team to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself.

As a leader we must be willing to put in the same effort as everyone else. Leading by example will help inspire, engage and motivate your team. It also allows the leader to model the behaviour they would like to see copied by others. When disaster struck, Shackleton never showed his disappointment. He kept a positive attitude and refused to give up, always keeping sight of their goal. He remained optimistic and resilient, he told stories and made his men laugh which helped build relationships and loyalty amongst his team.

2. Plan carefully using all knowledge available, consider all eventualities and most importantly, be flexible with your plan.

Shackleton had a considered understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of every minute detail of his plan. He had an uncanny knack of sensing danger and was invariably able to minimise risk. He was also good at improvisation, a man not afraid to throw away the rulebook or abandon and adapt the plans if they weren’t working always putting the welfare of his men above everything else.

3. Don’t make important decisions on your own and don’t surround yourself with similar minded people.

The lesson here is to always seek consultation. When we search for and listen to the views of others then we have greater perspective and clearer understanding of the situation and how it affects us all. Unlike Scott, who often made decisions on his own, Shackleton was an inclusive leader. He would constantly seek opposing viewpoints and listen to everyone’s opinions. The team felt heard when Shackleton made his decisions.

We make better decisions when members of our team have different viewpoints, values and perspectives. Even better if those members are able to trust each other and feel comfortable to challenge the thinking in order to reach a better solution.

4. Avoid making important decisions when you are under pressure.

We tend to make poor decisions under stress. If it all possible, take a step back and give yourself time to think things through thoroughly. Otherwise, be like Shackleton and try to remain as calm as you possibly can in times of crisis.

Sir Raymond Priestly, the acclaimed scientist who served on expeditions with both Scott and Shackleton wrote: “For scientific leadership, give me Scott. For swift and efficient travel Amundsen. But when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems no way out, get on your knees and pray for Shackleton”, high praise indeed!