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Leadership Lessons from the South Pole
By Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden
No, we haven't been asked to speak in Antarctica.
Not long ago, at the suggestion of a seminar participant, I began looking into the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the British explorer who, in 1914, organized and led an expedition attempting the first overland crossing of the Antarctic Continent. Though by most measures the expedition failed, it succeeded in at least two important ways.
1. Shackleton and his men (women weren't invited, and likely were smart enough not to have signed up anyhow) had at least attempted something that was significant, and had never been done before.
2. Despite incredible adversity (roughly 350 miles from land, their ship got crushed - not stuck, CRUSHED in the pack ice) every single crewmember returned home alive.
The story is chock-full of leadership lessons; a fact not lost on Dennis N. T. Perkins, who chronicled many of them in his well-written book, Leading at the Edge. Ditto for A&E Television, which recently did a series on the adventure, starring Kenneth Branagh as Sir Ernest.
Dealing yourself a 'good hand' trumps everything - Though many of the lessons derive from Shackleton's actions after the wheels began coming off in the Weddell Sea, the first pertains to his initial selection of the Endurance's 27 crewmembers.
After placing a frightfully candid advertisement in London newspapers: "Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful…" (Talk about truth in advertising), Shackleton studiously picked through a horde of applicants (no need for drug testing here), ultimately selecting a crew that was as diverse in talent as it was in background and temperament.
Peering beyond their differences, Shackleton seems to have been looking for two important things: First, he identified those who, when push came to shove, could perform capably, get along with, and look out for one another. Not folks who were good at 'making nice', but those who at least had the capacity to be team players. Second, he managed to seed the organization with those who, when necessary, could effectively bear leadership responsibility. By all accounts, the ultimate survival of this bunch was heavily predicated on these two criteria, just as it is in most business organizations today.
Other lessons of potential benefit to us non-explorer types also bear mentioning…
Leaders must be 'In the Moment', and have a Bias for Action - As evidenced by his expeditious handling of the short-lived mutiny of two crewmembers (he explained passionately and convincingly their mutual obligations, then promised to have the mutineers shot if their perspective didn't change), Shackleton was obviously a firm believer in the old axiom 'when you see a snake - kill it!' After effectively putting the mutiny down, he welcomed the two miscreants back from the 'doghouse', thereby demonstrating another precept that a lot of us manager types seem to forget - "Don't play with dead snakes." Translation - when it's over, move on!
Leaders notice a job well done and say Thank You (a lot) - You know, when you get down to brass tacks, people will put up with a lot of our foibles, mistakes, and rough edges when they receive regular (and sincere) reminders that they, and their work matter, and that we're more interested in seeing them succeed than finding fault with them. Try it; you'll be amazed at the result.
What Now - What's Next? - Though Shackleton clearly recognized the importance of people seeing and believing in the 'Mission', he also understood that we don't live day-to-day in the big picture. Thus, he made it a point to keep the crew constantly informed about the next few things they would be doing, and what they could reasonably expect to happen, even (no, especially) when it was likely to be unpleasant.
Calling to mind Value Jet CEO, Lewis Jordan's handling of his company's jet crash in the Florida Everglades, and more recently, Rudy Giuliani's handling of the WTC disaster, both men, to their credit, focused almost exclusively on being physically present and keeping people regularly apprised as to:
1. Here's what we know, 2. Here's what we believe to be the case, 3. Here's what we're doing (and would like for you to do) about it
4. Here's when we'll be back with more information.
I think it's fair to say that most of us find that approach refreshing, not to mention reassuring.
First You Feed the Troops - Shackleton went to regular, and at times elaborate lengths to make it plain that he and his officer crew enjoyed few, if any special privileges by virtue of their position. He saw to it that they were visible (and regular) participants in whatever 'scut work' needed to be done, and that, when necessary, their exposure to danger and personal sacrifice was disproportionately large. I can think of a few Enron executives who would have done well to follow this example.
Enthusiasm begets Enthusiasm - I will never forget a gentleman by the name of Bob Lutz, who was a sales executive with the second firm I joined out of college. When approached by anyone and greeted with what was usually the old gratuitous "how are ya?" question, Lutz would unfailingly and enthusiastically respond "Fabulous, and thank you for asking." To be sure, he had bad days like we all do, and some times he no doubt had to reach way back to summon up the extra enthusiasm, Mr. Lutz understood just how important (and infectious) that attitude was (and is).
At a time when their ship had been crushed, and his crew was both freezing and starving, Shackleton knew better than to tell people how 'fantastic' it was, but he nonetheless made it a point to be very careful about his own demeanor. Often, he would rely on self-deprecating humor to take the edge off things for a while, particularly when it was necessary to announce an unpopular decision.
To be sure, there were times when every leader must keep some very real fears close to the vest, but we must be ever vigilant of the effect our demeanor has on those around us. (My wife assures me that this is a learning that just might work well at home, too.).
Please print the following attribution for this article: Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden, co-authors of Contented Cows Give Better Milk, help clients clobber the competition by having a focused, fired up, and capably led workforce. They deliver powerful conference keynotes and leadership training. They can be reached at 800-940-7006 (+1-904-720-0870 from outside North America) or www.ContentedCows.com.