Shackleton Expedition – Lessons learned

In retrospect, a well done movie (although a little slow for my liking). The story was one of adventurous ambition, heroic survival against all odds and incredible endurance. It showcases the skills required for effective leadership especially of diverse groups in times of crisis. Here is what I learned:

• An eagerness to learn (as evidenced by Shakleton – a well-read man whose thirst for knowledge and exploration knew no bounds)
• Ability to mix with a diverse group of people
• Learning to see things from a different perspective and outside of oneself. I think this will allow more flexibility in one’s problem-solving abilities
• Ability to hire talented yet optimistic individuals. He may not have hired the most competent people for the expedition but he certainly hand-picked them for their attitude and passion
• I liked how he gave the crew a”reality check”. He transformed them such that they started to treat every crisis situation like it was business as usual
• His servant leadership – something that is probably more relevant now that it was in the bureaucratic past
• From a Good to Great perspective, Shackleton was definitely a Level 5 Leader – humble, fanatically driven, capable of understanding the need to produce results that would be sustained and of selecting successors
• Kept his wit of humor and optimism about him regardless of his own disappointment

• Emotional Intelligence is key – he immediately sensed what was going in within his crew at critical junctures of the expedition
• On the “First Who…Then What” principle of Good to Great, Shackleton was rigorous but not ruthless when it came to hiring. He knew that he had to act when he realized when he had the certain people in the wrong seat
• Fostered a culture of high discipline – Systematic, demanding, consistent, methodical, focused and in some instances dogged

I think overall the movie was a good illustration of all that we have learned thus far in the course (with the exception of ethics….I am a little skeptical there)

Definition of success and what it means to you?

It is common wisdom that unless you can define what success is, you cannot set the right priorities for your life/career and become an integrated and successful leader. Having a clear picture of success is a necessary condition for effective leadership. For those of us who want to become leaders by choice we have a myriad of stuff to do on our list and could quickly lose perspective. Tasks tend to overwhelm us producing almost passive responses to daily events…

I am curious to know from you what your definition of success is and how do you manage to keep your focus on maintaining that perspective? Here are some questions that I have asked myself occasionally…..

• What is it that I want? Spiritual, Financial, Family, Mental, Social or Work/Career?
• What will I do when I have it?
• What aspects of my life do I have to change in order to obtain it?
• What must I do to have it?

The Role of competence

I understand competence, or knowing what to do is vital to leadership. But I am inclined to distinguish competence into two categories – professional competence and competence of character. I am reminded of Prof. Phil Powell’s commentary prefacing Prof. Bob Grimm’s class. It laid emphasis on the latter – competence of character. As the world grows “flat” and tapered integration cycles continue to shorten in the technology world, I am led to believe that one’s competence of character has a LOT to do with sustaining the growth of good leaders. As someone rightly mentioned about EQ on their blog, competence of character is something that encompasses not only EQ but other values such as virtue ethics, self-awareness, self-discipline, etc. At the onset of my career as a professional management consultant for 13 years (this is prior to my current job), I was naive to believe that with authority came leadership and my discretionary efforts were in full force. But in the world of consulting, you are taught to lead and “sell” yourself. You are forced to network, form relationships of trust, be sensitive of different cultures and backgrounds and be competent! Of course there is a plethora of opportunities to make the “devil’s bargain” but you soon learn that competence of character is what prevails. While technical or professional competence is dynamic susceptible to market forces, competence of character could be static – once you reach that Level 5 (or whatever level you choose since leadership is by choice!), there is seldom change.

Authenticity is accomplished through this competence of character – being true to oneself and staying on “track” with your moral compass combined with passion and self-discipline, you become an Authentic Leader. I still have a long way to go before I achieve my level of leadership but I’d like to think that I have been sensitive to others’ feedback and am making efforts to becoming a better leader.

Interpersonal