Leading Through Crisis – What Ernest Shackleton Can Teach Us About the COVID Pandemic
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What are the key learnings that we can take from this?
1. Team First
If he sensed one crew member was having a rough time, Shackleton sometimes ordered a round of hot milk for everybody. This avoided singling out the man who was struggling, even if it meant consuming their precious reserves. At the same time, Shackleton was not afraid to take risks himself, like the 800-mile voyage in a 23-foot lifeboat to find help, knowing that he would need to learn his way through many uncertain situations. And that’s especially relevant today as we have to get comfortable with a lot of uncertainty and chaos, and also little and ever-changing information.2. Communication
Once Shackleton’s expedition turned into a crisis, he defined his new mission clearly — bring all his men home safely — and communicated clearly with them about what daily routines and tasks they needed to follow to achieve that goal. While that mission could never budge, he remained flexible and improvisational about how he and his team worked to attain their target, as everything from the weather to morale shifted from day-to-day. If Shackleton sensed someone was skeptical of his plans, he would invite them to stay with him in his own tent to address their concerns.3. Fight Idleness
Shackleton knew that the group's biggest challenge was not facing cold or hunger, but sustaining their spirits and creating stability. This is why he assigned duties to everybody and required all group members to exercise every day. Each night after dinner, Shackleton would meet with the crew to give them the latest updates. What can you and your team do with your “free time” that would help each other and your company, and make everybody more resilient? Be creative and proactive. Think about using the time to improve your skillset and your company processes; tools that will not only make you more resilient but more efficient in the long run.4. Long Run
Finally, working remotely invites loneliness even during the best of times. So during a crisis like our current one, isolation can become physically exhausting and emotionally depleting. I have certainly felt this myself this year. So try to carve out some personal time to recover every day because this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.