A Great Book: Shackleton’s Way

I recently listened to this book on Audible. It is fascinating to hear about Shackleton’s explorations. There are a ton of leadership takeaways as well.

From Amazon:

The explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton has recently become the legendary character at the center of a renewed fascination with the early days of Antarctic exploration. Though not the most renowned explorer of his day, nor even the most successful in terms of stated goals, Shackleton’s story of adventurous ambition, incredible endurance, and heroic survival against all odds is indeed the stuff of legend. And now, thanks to the detailed research and helpful insights of Morrell and Capparell, his story is also the meaty material of lessons on how to lead with authority, integrity, humor, and compassion.

A British explorer once summarized the feats of the great Antarctic explorer like this: “For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a winter journey, give me Wilson, for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen; and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time.” His words set the tone for Shackleton’s Way, at once both a travel narrative and a handbook of the skills required for effective leadership of diverse groups, especially in times of change and crisis. Shackleton’s attempts to reach the South Pole and his two-year fight for the survival of his crew, when their ship is stranded in ice and then sunk, makes for exciting reading. Using this story as the centerpiece of their book, the authors have woven in their interpretation of his success using interviews with exceptional modern leaders such as Mike Dale, Jaguar’s former chief of North American operations, and Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell, and by offering useful advice points at the end of each chapter. For example, in the chapter entitled “The Path to Leadership,” Shackleton is shown to have been a well-read man, eager to learn and able to mix with varied company. The authors support this by noting that broadening one’s horizons and learning to see things from different perspectives will allow for greater flexibility in problem solving. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig agrees that a level of well roundedness is vital in leaders, acknowledging that “one of my prime aims in distributing books is to get people to think outside themselves and to think broadly.”

Morrell and Capparell’s excellent use of archival material (especially crew diaries) and their intelligent interpretation of what Shackleton’s story implies about good leaders makes this book both pleasurable and educational. Throughout the story of the explorer’s exploits, the authors have inserted summarizing subtitles that succinctly capture Shackleton’s leadership style. Occasionally, this seems a little strained; while the explorer’s progressive attitudes and actions deserve praise as leadership lessons par excellence, even some of his misjudgments are referred to with something approaching reverence. For the most part, however, the authors employ a subtle and effective hand in translating the actions of a man at the helm of a dangerous adventure into advice beneficial to leaders in all areas of life. 

An Interesting Podcast: Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

We all have patterned ways of managing our day-to-day anxiety, and these patterns often reflect the roles and expectations of our first families. In this episode, Brené talks about over and under-functioning in anxious times, why anxiety is contagious, and how we can cultivate a calm practice.

A Helpful Blog Post for Inproving Livestreams

A friend recently joked that all pastors have suddenly become televangelists. Though many churches have had the capability to stream, this crisis has accelerated churches adapting to technology. This blog post has some helpful tips to be more effective. 

A Quote I’m Thinking About

When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be, we were called to be, we hoped to be, and may we stay that way — better for each other, because of the worst.” Laura Kelly Fanucci

What would you add? Feel free to comment by clicking here.

A Book for Anybody that Leads: The Vision Driven Leader

Michael Hyatt has a brand new book that releases tomorrow called The Vision Driven Leader. I was able to read an early version of the manuscript over the summer. By applying the framework outlined in the book, Sugar Hill Church was able to effectively serve more peole than we have have. 

From Amazon:

Vision drives everything

It’s the essential ingredient for successful leadership. Unless you have a clear picture of where you want to lead your organization, nobody will follow you. But if your vision is compelling, people will apply their best thinking and effort to make it real, regardless of the obstacles or opposition you face.

So how do you craft that vision? How do you get others on board? And how do you put that vision into practice at every level of your organization? In The Vision Driven Leader, New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt asks ten simple questions to help you:

• craft an irresistible vision for your business
• ensure it’s clear, inspiring, and practical
• rally your team around the vision
• distill it into actionable plans that drive results
• overcome obstacles and pivot as needed

Based on Michael’s forty years of experience as an entrepreneur and executive, backed by insights from organizational science and psychology, and illustrated by case studies and stories from multiple industries, The Vision Driven Leader reveals what difference a vision makes and how to craft one for you and your team today.

A Great Podcast Episode on Crisis Leadership: Carey Nieuwhof’s Leadership Podcast

Carey Nieuwhof creates fantastic content that helps leaders thrive. Carey recently released a bonus episode on his podcast that features a panel of guest who have all lead through seasons of uncertaintly well: Tricia Sciortino, Jud Wilhite, and Kevin Queen. I found this episode especially helpful with the uncertainty we are all facing these days.

A Great Post from Jenni Catron: What to Remember When Leading through Crisis

Jenni Catron is an incredible leader with several books. This post reminds us that we don’t have control of when crisis hits. What we DO have control over are the choices we make about how to lead through them. I’d encourage to read this post.

A Quote I’m Thinking About

The greatest gift that a leader gives in a crisis situation is a nonanxious presensence. — Kevin Queen

What would you add? Feel free to comment by clicking here.