I found Shackleton's Way, by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell in my little sister's room when I was last visiting, and I am so glad I grabbed it. What an amazing read and what an amazing man. Granted, I wouldn't look to him for a good example of a husband, but as a leader he was truly incredible. Orde-Lees, a crew member wrote,"How [Shackleton] stood the incessant vigil and exposure is marvelous, but he is a wonderful man and so is his constitution. He simply never spares himself if, by his individual toil, he can possibly benefit anyone else" (168). Morrell writes, "Shackleton's inner and physical strength seemed almost superhuman at times" (186).
While Shackleton never reached his goal of crossing Antarctica, he was able to keep every member of his crew alive for over a year after his ship was crushed and destroyed by ice. "Ever since the Endurance had gotten stuck...[Shackleton] had taken bottom-line responsibility for the life, heath, and safety of every one of his men" (163).
Not only did he keep his crew alive, but they were surprisingly healthy and happy throughout the whole ordeal. "Shackleton was frugal but not parsimonious. He knew what was important. Happiness and comfort were not expendable" (136). Orde-Lees, wrote of the experience "Still, we have nothing to grumble about as it is, for we have warmth and comfort and the very best of food, and moreover this exhilarating climate makes one feel always fit and well" (122). Furthermore, "[Shackleton] visited every tent every day, only missing visits when he had such sever sciatica that he couldn't leave his sleeping bag without help" (143).
Shackleton was loved by his men and lead through example. Furthermore he was a master at keeping a calm disposition even when things went from bad to worse. Shackleton was composed, thoughtful and forever optimistic. Morrell writes, "[The crew] expected Shackleton to be furious. Instead, he kept his composure"(166), "As he spoke, he appeared calm, confident, and strong. Years later, several of the men would recall how much his words meant to them at that time" (133), and "Always, [Shackleton] set an example by being positive himself, regardless of what he might have been feeling. 'He was unfailingly optimistic, and disapproved strongly if anyone showed a long face,' Hurley (another crew member) explained" (192).
A Swedish proverb states "Rough water are truer tests of leadership. In calm water every ship has a good captain". Shackleton's leadership was tested in rough waters literally and figuratively. According to the book, "With the darkness of the evening came bitter cold and driving sleet. Every piece of equipment, and the men themselves, became encased in a thick layer of ice as the sleet and spray froze over them...they occasionally had to take off their mittens to wring out the water; even wet gloves spared their fingers from frostbite" (165).
Shackleton was well read and was an excellent conversationalist. "One of the great advantages of reading fiction or history is it gives you the opportunity to understand the world from different vantage points and different time periods and different psychologies...That's important to a leader, so one of my prime aims in distributing books is to get people to think outside themselves and to think broadly" (46).
Shackleton is truly inspiring. The quote by William Shedd "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for" reminds me of Shackleton because he lived life to the fullest. I would definitely recommend reading this book as there are a lot more wonderful quotes and nuggets of wisdom. In fact, I read it with a pen in hand so I could underline my favorite parts, of which there were not few.
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