Leading by example and with Perseverance

I was having dinner with the Chief Executive and Chair of a Mercia Ventures portfolio company recently where we were discussing the challenges of running a company.  We  collectively concluded that of all the qualities required to succeed, grit or perseverance was the biggest one.

We know that founding and growing a company is tough really tough.  Steve Jobs once said “I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

To continue this thought, I think a key element is the ability to persevere and lead by example even when times are tough.  To be a leader where your team choose to follow, we need to live out the values and behaviours that we expect from others on a consistent basis in all situations.

Of all the high profile examples, Ernest Shakleton is often cited as one the best examples of leading by example with incredible perseverance in dire situations.  

Alfred Lansing’s book Endurance is a fantastic read covering the ill-fated Endurance expedition between1914-1917 in Antarctica.  During this period in history there were a number of high profile expedition leaders such as Scott and Amundsen.  In many ways these leaders were the entrepreneurs of their time where they had a bold audacious goal and worked hard to raise funding in order to attempt their expeditions.  

During the four year preparation, Shackleton bought the ship, and renamed it Endurance after his family motto, "By endurance, we conquer” and picked his crew of 27 men, many of which had served with him on other expeditions. 

Before his mission to cross the Antarctic continent really started, his ship became trapped in pack ice, eventually sinking after being crushed.  The objective for Shakleton quickly changed to bring all of the 27 men home safely which he completed nearly two years later.

I liked how Shackleton believed in leading from the front whereby he shared the same risks and hardships as his men, never asking them to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. His physical and mental toughness made him a source of strength for the crew and he understood that the mental well-being of his crew was crucial to their survival. His diary entries clearly show he worked hard to hide his own thoughts and anxieties so as not to affect his team and was very focused on morale within the group.

I think we can all learn from reading Shakleton’s story.  His ability to lead by example, adapt to change, and prioritise his team’s welfare is a fantastic example of leadership.  

It also serves as a reminder that whilst running and developing a business is tough really tough, it is not as tough as what Shakleton and his men successfully experienced. 

Everything is relative!!

As always I would be interested in your thoughts in the comments.

What has been your most challenging endurance challenge?

A fact I was not aware until reading the book was that Shakleton also developed other business concepts such as manufacturing of cigarettes, a fleet of taxi cabs, mining in Bulgaria, and a whaling factory with none of them gaining success.

Shackleton’s legacy endures not for achieving his original goal, but for his leadership when the stakes were highest. 

So to get ready for this expedition, he buys a ship. He renames it, and he renames it Endurance after his family motto, which is fantastic. The motto of the family, "By endurance, we conquer."

The difference between somebody successful at what they're doing and somebody that's not successful is pure perseverance.

In the book Endurance by Alfred Lansing

So it says, "He was tormented by thoughts, both of what had happened and what might happen. He was careful, however, not to betray his disappointment to the men and he cheerfully supervised the routine of readying the ship for the long winter's night ahead."

"The plan, as they all knew, was to march toward Paulet Island, 346 miles to the Northwest. And they would be dragging two of their three boats with them since it was assumed that they would eventually run into open water." So these are like lifeboats. This is what's going to make the story even crazier.

He wrote in his diary the day before setting off - "I pray God, I can manage to get the whole party safe to civilization."

the heavy burden of responsibility of the leader that Shackleton is having to endure, not only the physical demands of being in such a treasure place, but the mental demands knowing that everybody's physical safety and well-being rests on your shoulders.

"Shackleton was concerned of all the enemies, the cold, the ice the sea, he feared none more than demoralization." He understands the power our mind has, and he understands you have to manage that power.