Arctic Lessons in Leadership

Arctic Lessons in Leadership

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success”

No, this is not a request for people to assist the Government in managing the economy! But the famous advertisement placed by Ernest Shackleton in 1907 to accompany him on an arctic expedition.

I am sure many of you have read books or watched programmes on his exploits. He was one of the men of the Pre War heroic era who braved the elements in what were seemingly pointless exercises. However the lessons we can learn from them are many and varied. Shackleton’s is primarily remembered for the ill-fated Transantartic Expedition of 1914-17 when its ship, Endurance was trapped in pack ice and slowly crushed, before the shore parties could be landed. There followed a dramatic sequence of exploits including an 800 mile open boat journey which led to the ultimate escape with no lives lost. This feat of leadership and determination makes me dizzy with admiration. His commitment to his men, his team and their similar commitment to him and each other is something to admire and emulate. Building a trust and spirit based on survival being everything. He is quoted by wife Emily as saying that it is “Better to be a live donkey than a dead lion”.  I strongly advocate this focus on the well being of the team and if that is truly felt by the leader then the support you will get in return is truly amazing.

Another of my heroes’s from that Era was not British and explored the Arctic not the Antarctic. Fridtjof Nansen (pronounced Fridge Off!) was a Norwegian Scientist (a very distinguished one – in the fields of neurology and fluid dynamics) who became a Diplomat and helped found the League of Nations and consequently won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his work there. Look him up on Wikipedia.

But it is probably for his expeditions to the Arctic that he is most known. He was a pioneer sports skier and then polar explorer in his ship the Fram which was purposefully allowed to drift though the sea ice for three years (they were hardy in those days!). When it became apparent that the ship was not going to reach the North Pole as they had intended he made a brave (?) daring (?) decision and left the ship not to return.

Sadly he did not reach the North Pole but generated a great metaphoric lesson for leadership and mentoring strategy that I use frequently. Other explorers including Scott and Amundsen started from a location and went to their destination and returned. Nansen by leaving the Fram made the objective of the North Pole as only a step on the ultimate destination to safety. Going back was not an option.

At times in management and life we need to make step changes. What we are doing by this is leaving our past behind. As Nansen did leaving the Fram, we are stepping into an unknown that can only achieved by going forward not backward. I regularly use the phrase “The past is another country” (a quote from L. P. Hartley) which continues to say “they (we) do things differently here”.  We leave behind past ways.