In 1914, Ernest Shackleton chose one of the most audacious goals at that time: make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. It was inconceivable that a group of people could do that. And they failed, but are not remembered as a failure—quite the opposite.
Just a couple of months after their departure, Shackleton’s trip, the Endurance, became trapped in ice and eventually sank. They spent several months in the harsh Antarctic, isolated from human civilization, trying to survive under extreme conditions with temperatures reaching minus 40º and winds reaching up to 200 km/h. Their food and supplies were limited, forcing them to rely on hunting and foraging. Survival was almost impossible, and the physical and mental strain compounded over time. They also had to deal with the incredibly tough circumstances of the Antarctic Sea, one of the most dangerous on Earth. And these only represent a small portion of the obstacles they overcame.
Despite all of it, Shackleton and his crew managed to survive. Shackleton’s Endurance Voyage is considered one of the most epic survival stories in the history of exploration. Not only that, but their story is also an example of leadership, resilience, accountability, and attitude, among others.
Here are some ideas that struck me while reading the book Endurance by Alfred Lansing, which tells the story of Shackleton’s Endurance Voyage.
Hope
After the Endurance sank, everyone felt discouraged because the chances of survival were very low. I couldn’t stop thinking about how the crew would respond, and I asked myself repeatedly: most people in their situation would have given up, why did they keep pushing?
That is the same question I asked myself while reading the stories of Viktor Frankl or Edith Eger when they were in Auschwitz. They also endured the impossible, and yet, they survived. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl discussed how hope influenced prisoner’s life at the concentration camp.
“The death rate in the week between Christmas, 1944, and New Year’s, 1945, increased in camp beyond all previous experience. In his opinion, the explanation for this increase did not lie in the harder working conditions or the deterioration of our food supplies or a change of weather or new epidemics. It was simply that the majority of the prisoners had lived in the naïve hope that they would be home again by Christmas. As the time drew near and there was no encouraging news, the prisoners lost courage and disappointment overcame them. This had a dangerous influence on their powers of resistance, and a great number of them died.”
Hope was vital to surviving in the concentration camps. And hope also played an essential role in the survival of Shackleton and his crew because it helped them to keep going despite the extreme circumstances. They were very close to death a couple of times when the weather conditions were terrible or food was lacking, but they always expected things to improve. They never lost hope, which I think partially explains why they survived.
“The quality I look for most is optimism: especially optimism in the face of reverses and apparent defeat. Optimism is true moral courage.” – Ernest Shackleton.
Learn to deal with uncertainty
Another thing that struck me was that their survival didn’t depend on them. Under these extreme circumstances, there were too many variables outside their control. They would eventually die if they needed food and did not find penguins or killer whales. If the ocean was rough and they didn’t find any igloos to take refuge, they would also die. And on and on.
Yet, they persevered. Did they feel overwhelmed or scared? Yes, of course. But they focused on what was under their control and tried to make the best out of every situation. They would not have survived if they hadn’t accepted uncertainty.
Have plans and expect them to fail
Not a second went by without them thinking about reaching human civilization. But as with any audacious goal, they needed to break their plan into smaller ones and work on them step by step. Because of the harsh and unpredictable environment they were in, their plans almost always failed.
Shackleton would not waste a single minute complaining. He would immediately create another plan and work on it. It struck me because, in our daily lives, when something doesn’t go as expected, we often get stuck in the past, complain, and wish things to be different. If we do that, the plan was probably useless because the unexpected usually happens. As Morgan Housel writes in his book The Psychology of Money, “Planning is important, but the most important part of every plan is to plan on the plan, not going according to the plan.”
When a new problem appears, focus on solving it. As Shackleton once said, “Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.”
Be accountable
As the head of the crew, Shackleton knew he was responsible for the crew’s safety. His decisions could mean the difference between survival and death. The point of view of the rest of the team was indeed considered, but he was the one who had the last word. He knew some of his decisions would be wrong and others would be seen as risky. This could create problems inside the crew, which is a big problem under their circumstances, but he was very good at dealing with people and keeping them motivated.
Leadership implies accountability, which involves an amount of pressure that very few people can handle. It is mentioned in the book that this pressure affected Shackleton, who seemed to be mentally exhausted. That’s why being a leader is a role not everyone wants to assume. But someone needed to do it, and Shackleton did it exceptionally well.
“If you’re a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you have to keep going.” – Ernest Shackleton.