150 YEARS OF INSPIRATION

WHAT DOES THE BOSS MEAN TO YOU?

15th February 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ernest Henry Shackleton in Kilkea, Ireland. It will also see the unveiling of a memorial plaque in his honour at Westminster Abbey, near those honouring fellow explorers Cook and Drake, and close to the tomb of his favourite poet Robert Browning.

Alongside his titanic polar exploits, Sir Ernest is especially revered for his unique brand of leadership. The adverse circumstances faced after the loss of the Endurance would have defeated most of us, but as he wrote;

“If you’re a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you’ve got to keep going.”

As soon as news of the impossible rescue of the entire crew of the Endurance filtered out, the Shackleton legend picked up pace. The indomitable optimism and boundless resourcefulness on show continue to inspire generations of fellow explorers. Leaders of all stripes look to his example.

Here at Shackleton HQ, he’s still very much “The Boss”. It’s an honour and responsibility to be trusted with expanding his legacy, in every way available to us. Let us know what Sir Ernest's legacy means to you in the comments below.

SHACKLETON'S LEGACY AROUND THE WORLD

“For scientific leadership, give me Scott.

For swift and efficient travel, Amundsen.

But when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems to be no way out, get on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”

- Sir Raymond Priestley

“If anyone made and deserved their luck, he did....

His story is universal because we all wonder how we would have coped if we had been there - wonder, whether we would, like Shackleton, Worsley and Crean on that final supreme test, have grown in stature ... Retracing his steps across South Georgia, experiencing for ourselves the complexity of that difficult mountainous country which he crossed so rapidly, with only the haziest knowledge of what he would find, and no proper mountaineering equipment, we were all filled with intense, almost incredulous, admiration for what he achieved.”

-Shackleton: The Antarctic and Endurance - Stephen Venables

“Shackleton’s name will always be written in the annals of Antarctic exploration in letters of fire.”

- Roald Amundsen

"At the end of the 1990s, I discovered the explorer Ernest Shackleton and how, in the midst of a long, drawn-out crisis that lasted two years, he made himself and his team on the

'Endurance' expedition (1914-1916)

capable of doing the impossible ... It quickly became clear that this story was a treasure trove of leadership lessons."

- Professor Nancy Koehn of Harvard Business School

“Many times on expeditions in the past, when I’ve felt low or beaten, I’ve thought of Shackleton and his men to give myself perspective. They were the living embodiment of a great truth: that selflessness, looking after each other, positive thinking and just getting on with it is the key to survival.”

- Steve Backshall

“I am not the hero-worshipping type, but Shackleton has definitely become a hero to me, and I have used his example in the past when I have found myself in tough spots. I have learned from him the virtue of waiting, of having patience.”

- David L. Mearns

“The one who stands out a mile for persevering in the face of abominable luck was Ernest Shackleton, whose life – and death in 1922, almost 100 years ago – I have scrutinised with great care.”

- Ranulph Fiennes