Research Paper On Ernest Shackleton

1900 Words8 Pages

Ernest Shackleton has captured the hearts of many through his inspiring story. In 1914, he set sail on an expedition to cross the continent of Antarctica; along with him are his twenty-seven crew members that consist of seamen, officers, doctors and a photographer (“The Shackleton Expedition,” 2011). As they sailed toward Antarctica, their ship was trapped and eventually crushed due to contraction of the ice beneath them. This led the beginning of Shackleton's journey as an effective leader. Shackleton used his optimism and perseverance to endure the challenges and as a leader, he inspired a shared vision and enabled others to act. These are acts of leadership practice from “The Leadership Challenge” text (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). He also searched …show more content…

According to Kouzes and Posner (2012), leaders who search for opportunities want a constant change in their organization to implement growth and success. Shackleton practices proactiveness by constantly planning and improving the situation of the crew. He encouraged innovation when he helped create a lifeboat to help his team withstand the cold weather. Shackleton’s search for opportunities was vital in order to slowly achieve their goals. Shackleton took initiative through proactiveness and innovation. Although he was unable to control the unforeseen forces, he was able to control his response to the issue. Shackleton responded to the situation by making something happen (Kouzes & Posner, 2012), he constantly planned their next step to keep the team focused. Shackleton used innovation to help improve their lifeboat, to help them withstand the water and the wind. Shackleton accomplished these acts to better the situation of the …show more content…

Most people are reluctant to experiment and take risks because they are afraid of the high challenge (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). In Shackleton's case, he took on many risks just to save his comrades; however, through those risks, he was rewarded with success. When he decided to travel to Elephant Island and South Georgia, he knew he would have to risk their lives from the harsh weather condition, which might possibly be the cause of their death; however, because he persevered through those risks he brought his team a step closer to their