Came across this interesting book Leading at The Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition . Something that I plan to read.
The leadership lessons from this book seem very appropriate for many situations especially that of a startup. I quote the following from a review there
At the same time Endurance set off to conquer the south pole, the Karluk set off to conquer the North Pole. Both ships were stranded in ice. Both sets of explorers had to endure unbelievable hardship. But, Shackleton's group pulled together. It was a story of sacrifice, teamwork and loyalty. The Karluk explorers drifted into theft, deception, lying, and mutiny.
This book delves into the why. How did Shackleton do it? From this, they derive the following 10 leadership lessons.
1. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.
2. Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
3. Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.
4. Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
5. Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one- we live or die together."
6. Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
7. Master conflict- deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.
8. Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
9. Be willing to take big risks.
10. Never give up-there's always another move.
The leadership lessons from this book seem very appropriate for many situations especially that of a startup. I quote the following from a review there
At the same time Endurance set off to conquer the south pole, the Karluk set off to conquer the North Pole. Both ships were stranded in ice. Both sets of explorers had to endure unbelievable hardship. But, Shackleton's group pulled together. It was a story of sacrifice, teamwork and loyalty. The Karluk explorers drifted into theft, deception, lying, and mutiny.
This book delves into the why. How did Shackleton do it? From this, they derive the following 10 leadership lessons.
1. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.
2. Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
3. Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.
4. Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
5. Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one- we live or die together."
6. Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
7. Master conflict- deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.
8. Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
9. Be willing to take big risks.
10. Never give up-there's always another move.
