Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance Essay Example

planned every detail, he organized and directed, getting involved even in the quality of the supplies (food, clothing, camping and traveling gear). He controlled as well, making changes in the course to the south at the final point before departing to the Antarctica. In every day operations managers have to make adjustments in order to be effective, however they must take in consideration all the possible variables in every decision.

When a strategy fails or new situations appear, a manager needs to make adjustments. Sometimes these adjustments set a brand new goal that was not anticipated at all. For Shackleton his inhability to do this is exemplified when the endurance sank, failing to his original goal however, new mission present itself at the very moment the Endurance sunk. His goal: bring home all the men. For this new objective, Shackleton did not plan accordingly due to the nature of the event, it was more of analyzing options (planning), choosing one (organizing), trial and error (directing), and start all over again (control).

The functions of management were implied at a very small scale. Due the conditions (low temperatures and strong winds), efficiency was in the mind of the “boss” at every moment. His strategy was to do his best in the least time possible and spending the minimum resources as possible was always the strategy. To exemplify this point of efficiency more, we can look at the food. They had limited resources and they had to manage the best way so they will not starve to death.

Tasks were assigned and they had a stricter schedule for meals and meal consumption. 3. What are the lessons from this case

for leaders/managers in business situations today? A. Support and awareness of the team. A leader never leaves his men behind. Shackleton always kept an eye on them to assure that they were in good health conditions, providing them with more food and hot milk when the tasks were so demanding. B. Consult with the experts. A leader understands that does not have the expertise in every situation and in every area.

A leader must be ready to ask for help so he can make informed decisions for the good of all parties involved. Several times Shackleton demonstrated this ability when he got together with his men of trust and chose the best option for the current situation. C. Respect. Shackleton gained the respect of the crew; it was not solely respect of authority due his position or rank. He earned the title of “boss”, in his approach of talking with the people, taking care of them, and always considering the best option at every situation that presented.

D. Authority. When there are several opinions on what to do, and a leader can’t make a consensus, he has to take the decision and make it clear, that this is the direction the team has to follow because represent the best interest for the group. E. Perseverance. There are always obstacles and unpredictable situations that arise when reaching a goal. One must persist with an open mind to be wise enough to understand where perseverance ends and when stubborn begins. I allude to this in question one as a principal cause of the Endurance Crisis.