Shackleton's Way

Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell boil down Shackleton's heroic leadership to the following five elements.

Optimism: Shackleton called optimism "true moral courage." He surrounded himself with optimists and managed to keep the tenor of the Endurance disaster surprisingly upbeat. "It's not easy to be an optimist on an ice sheet," Capparell says. "And it's even harder to make other people optimistic as well." No matter the difficulty, Shackleton cultivated an optimistic outlook and communicated that to his crew.

Communication: Shackleton was a remarkable communicator who made his crew feel part of an inner circle. He treated everyone with equal respect and constantly checked in with his subordinates, joking with them, fine-tuning their duties, and soliciting their opinions on a one-on-one basis. He listened carefully, and though he often rejected suggestions flatly, he also would often take forceful, unpredictable action. When confronted with many complaints about one crew member hoarding supplies, for instance, he put the hoarder in charge of the stores. The complaints died down.

Flexibility: Shackleton was a constant and meticulous planner, but he never stuck to a plan that wasn't working. "Shackleton took things as they came," Morrell says. "He planned out all the contingencies to minimize disruption if he did resort to Plan B." When the ice finally broke up, for example, Shackleton planned to head for the Palmer Peninsula. But both wind and waves were against him, so Shackleton quickly shifted destinations to Elephant Island.

Strong example: "Shackleton never ever asked anyone to do anything that he wouldn't or couldn't do himself," Morrell says. He was known to pitch in scrubbing the decks, making repairs, and helping with scientific measurements. He always led from the front, showing his crew how he wanted things done and inspiring them to overdeliver.

Encouraging enjoyment: A huge part of Shackleton's success as a leader came from maintaining morale. He held regular entertainment nights onboard the Endurance -- crew members would sing, play instruments, perform skits, and give the customary sailors' toast: "To our wives and sweethearts, may they never meet."

Once the ship was mired in ice, he encouraged his men to play sports on the floes. They held soccer tournaments and dogsled races. The games served a dual purpose by keeping the crew fit while keeping their spirits up.

Morrell likes to tell the story of one crew member who hated the sing-alongs at the start of the journey. "Eighteen months later," she says, "he's living under an overturned boat on Elephant Island, waiting for a rescue that may never come, and he writes about eating his midwinter's dinner and having some songs. He writes that it's the happiest day of his life."

That may be the greatest testament of all to Shackleton's leadership. After nearly 19 months mired in one of the world's most inhospitable spots, his crew had still not lost its spirit nor its ability to enjoy life.