Sir Ernest Shackleton’s heroic story of the Antarctica exploration is one of the best examples of leadership in unexpected and literally life-threatening situations. He was able to keep his team, each one of the 27 members, together and safe in extreme circumstances. I recently heard his story in a podcast and it left me thinking how our current circumstances can help us learn more about the people around us, specifically the managers and leaders we work for.
Shackleton’s expedition route
In 1914, when the First World War was about to break out, Shackleton decided to lead a 27 member crew to discover the South Pole on a ship called Endurance. By January 1915, their ship was ice-locked in the Weddell sea. In the hope that the ice would clear, Shackleton and his crew abandoned the ship’s routine and decided to wait until spring. However, as spring arrived in September, the melting of the ice and its lateral movements put extreme pressure on Endurance and destroyed her hull. For more than four months, Shackleton and his crew camped on ice, only with the supplies they had offloaded from Endurance, moving from one camping site to another in the hope to drift towards solid ground. At this point of complete lockdown, as days became weeks and weeks became months, Shackleton realised that his dream of being the first to discover the South Pole was a failed mission. This led to a crucial pivot moment for him and his team from exploration to survival. Finally, in April 1916, they were able to set foot on solid ground after spending more than 495 days on water and ice.
Shackleton and crew looking over the wrecked Endurance
The failure of their mission and their recovery from freezing temperatures, lack of light at some times, and no radio signal makes this story really special. After spending almost two years in this harrowing situation Shackleton and his team returned back unscathed to the United Kingdom.
There are some things that especially stand out about Shackleton’s leadership that we all can learn especially in the trying times of COVID-19. Here are some of the traits that good leaders have:
They learn from bad managers
Shackleton had failed in his mission to discover the South Pole before. Under the leadership of Robert Falcon Scott, in their previous expedition of 1904, they had not only failed but barely survived, given the shortage of food supplies and resources. When Shackleton became leader and led the Endurance mission, he made sure his crew never ran out of food supplies and resources, even if they had to spend years on the ice.
We have all had managers or leaders that did not meet our expectations. During this pandemic, a lot of managers are facing unexpected situations and if their response is far from optimal when it comes to it managing time, resources, taking decisions, prioritisation etc. If we see behaviours we don’t appreciate, we should use that as a lesson on leadership for us.
They adapt quickly
After being ice-locked for more than eight months followed by the sinking of the Endurance ship, Shackleton very quickly pivoted his initial mission of discovering the South Pole to getting his crew back home safely. He made it a point to not look at the failure or keep questioning what they could have done to avoid this situation. Instead, he focused on what could be done next and did it so quickly that to his team, it did not even feel like a failure.
Due to COVID-19, big and small corporations alike have had to pivot their initial plans. At the beginning of 2020, no one, not Uber, not AirBnB expected to lay off their people at such unprecedented rates. These companies had big plans of monetisation and of market expansion that had to be put on hold, if not given up, altogether. In these trying times, good leaders will emerge with new plans to sustain their business while doing what is right for their people.
They take ownership for their mistakes
Despite advisory to not proceed with the mission, Shackleton had trusted his team to navigate ice-locked waters. When the mission went south, he owned it completely. He understood that under his watch and decision-making, he had endangered the lives of 27 people. He accepted that, and worked harder than anyone else to ensure that his second mission of getting his crew back to safety did not fail.
Today, ownership looks different. Public apology is not uncommon. The key to owning decisions is to be humble enough to understand that you were wrong and have a plan to mitigate the situation. Some leaders did not respond soon enough to the pandemic, and some others did not foresee its magnitude; they all made mistakes that cost people their lives in the worst-case scenario. The best leaders out of this crisis are the ones who will own up to their mistakes and follow it up with concrete actions.
They hire for attitude and train for skill
Shackleton was one of the finest conductors of teams. He understood the high-risk situations his team will be exposed to in his mission and hired for attitude. He frequently asked his interviewees to “sing a song”, “dance a dance” and talk about their greatest moments of self-doubt. He wanted to uncover their underlying character and see how they fit together. The fact that no one turned against him or others in the near death situation during the mission is a big reflection of his strong team-building skills.
In this pandemic, a lot of people are looking for jobs. At the same time, hiring managers are constrained by the number of people they can hire and the window for error is narrower than ever. The best leaders will hire for attitude and will focus on how their team fits well together.
They know they cannot succeed in isolation
Shackleton understood he needed to manage the energy of the team. If the team ever had doubts on their chances of survival or fought amongst themselves, the mission would fail. Shackleton went to extreme lengths to boost the morale of his team. He ensured that every single member got some exercise and socialising was a norm. He had “townhall” meetings with his team everyday and 1-on-1s to understand them at a personal level.
This pandemic has made sustenance of business the core focus, thereby making not only work-life balance but also benefits such as paid leaves and bonuses an expendable idea. This leaves so much avenue for individual mental health concerns as well as low morale for the whole team and good managers will understand the importance of addressing this.They will know that a burnt-out team will lead to a failed mission right from the start.
They have empathy
Shackleton had a beautiful way of understanding people. When he saw one of his crew members flagging in energy, he ordered hot milk for everyone so that he is able to encourage that member without singling him out or embarrassing him. He would frequently order up double rations if needed to boost the confidence of the team and let them celebrate in these trying times. He understood that his most important resource is his people and not the food supplies.
During this pandemic, most people are underwhelmed and under-prepared. We are not used to working from home, and we are not sure if we might be asked to come to work tomorrow. In these moments, a leader needs to practice empathy, understand how their actions can affect their teams and how they can have moments of celebration and encouragement as things get more and more difficult. Good leaders will know when is the right time to save and spend resources.
They know they are role models
From his personal diary, we know that Shackleton had brief moments of self-doubt and distress. It was mentally and physically exhausting to keep trying every single day with little hope for success. He made great effort to ensure this energy never left his diary. He woke up every single day and performed. He made sure his team believed they could succeed.
Teams emulate the behaviour of their leaders. If you are always late to meetings or frequently cancel appointments, your team will practice these behaviours as well. Good managers will be the flag-bearer of good practices and encourage the team to adopt the same with their actions.
They know they have the power to inspire
A few years after the crew returned home safely, Shackleton decided to go on a mission to conquer the South Pole again. We know the strength of his leadership in that more than 13 of the initial crew were ready to come back to London to join him in this mission.
When BBC interviewed the survivors of the Endurance mission, 20 years later, each one of them said that they could come back alive because Shackleton made them believe they could. “His faith in me helped me do that!”.
Great leaders inspire. They make you do things you did not believe you could do.
The next time you are working for a leader or are a leader, ask yourself:
Treasure managers and companies that are prioritising people over anything else in this pandemic. It is one of the most difficult decisions they probably have had to take in the lifespan of their business.
Food for thought
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This post was previously published on Change Becomes You and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: iStock
The post Are You Working for a Good Manager? COVID-19 Can Tell You! appeared first on The Good Men Project.