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DEEP DIVE 🕵🏻

Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer

Ernest Henry Shackleton (CVO OBE FRGS FRSGS) (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration and a revered figure of the age.

Lacking the fame he so richly desired while he was alive, Shackleton’s name is now synonymous with leadership, heroism, adventure, and, for some, expedition-grade parkas. His story is as relevant today as ever before.

The story of Sir Ernest was one of endurance, mental fortitude, and stick-to-itiveness rarely heard or seen. And there are countless learnings one can take from his endeavors. So get out your gloves, put on your warmest parka, for we are heading down on an Antarctic adventure.

Early years

Shackleton was born in the small town of Kilkea, Ireland, around 75 km (47 mi) west of Dublin. He was born into a comically large Anglo-Irish family, having nine brothers and sisters. The family moved to Sydenham in suburban south London when he was ten, where he attended nearby Dulwich College. Although his father had high hopes that young Ernest would someday become a doctor, he instead signed up for the merchant navy at age 16.

While he was a passionate reader, Ernest never really did well in school. He would speak of being bored with his school life and would opine for adventure. Adventure would come sooner than Young Ernest realized.

First voyages

Before he was the famous, knighted adventurer known as Sir Ernest, or to his men ‘The Boss,’ he was nothing but an inexperienced Irish schoolboy. Ernest’s first plan was for a Royal Navy officer cadetship in the Britannia, at Dartmouth, but due to financial constraints, instead, he would become a ‘best the mast’ apprenticeship on the sailing vessel Hoghton Tower.

Ernest would spend a decade learning all there is to learn about crewing a sea vessel and would build an early reputation as a trusted shipmate. But it wouldn’t be until 1900 that he would make a connection that would lead him to finally embark on his first grand adventure. A spot on Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery expedition.

1901-1904: Discovery Expedition

With Scott, a Royal Navy torpedo lieutenant, leading Discovery, the expedition had objectives for scientific and geographical discovery. For Shackleton, things weren’t all that exciting. His duties as third officer ranged from being ‘in charge of seawater analysis’ to ‘stores and provisions.’ His gregarious nature meant he would also arrange the entertainment on the ship.

Although Scott would have a very militaristic way of leading his charges—which was against Shackleton’s nature—the two grew to trust one another.

However, the journey was marred from the start. Their dogs perished, all three men began suffering from snow-blindness and frostbite, and Shackleton himself, by his own admission, ‘broke down’ and could no longer function. Scott would later go on in his book, The Voyage of the Discovery, to say that Sir Ernest was carried back on a sled, to which Sir Ernest staunchly denies. 

1907–1909: Nimrod Expedition

Launched in 1907 and officially known as the British Antarctic Expedition 1907–1909, Nimrod was Shackleton's chance to take the helm, breaking away from previous roles under other leaders, such as Scott, during the Discovery Expedition. It was Ernest’s chance to show the world what he could do.

On their return from McMurdo Sound, down to half rations, he and his men, facing starvation, Shackleton famously gave his one remaining biscuit to the ailing Frank Wild. “You eat this, I'm alright,” he would say. 

This was a trend with Shackleton. No matter what, his men came first. Small acts like this, continually over time, fostered real loyalty from his men. They loved ‘The Boss.’

The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration

The era Ernest was coming of age in, the early 1900’s, was an incredible time for adventure. It would later be dubbed The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration due to the exploits of Scott, Sir Ernest, and the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

The three famous adventurers would push each other to their limits during the early parts of the century. In 1898, Amundsen and his partner, Cook, were trapped in their vessel by the ice and became the first humans to experience an Antarctic winter. 1903, as discussed, was Scott’s famous voyage, followed swiftly after in 1904 by Amundsen, who successfully traversed the all-water route through the Northwest Passage.

Humans, we know, for better or for worse, are competitive, egotistical beasts. And the Antarctic race between these men would take a toll on them all, in one case, the ultimate toll.

Come 1910, Robert Scott had organized the third British expedition to Antarctica. This time, determined to reach the South Pole. When setting out, it was Scott’s understanding that he was making an attack on the pole without rival. He was wrong. Amundsen, having just set off to conquer the North Pole, upon mistakenly hearing that it had just been conquered, turned his ship around to make an attempt on the South Pole. While on a stop in Australia, Scott receives a telegram that reads:

This kicked off what could only be described as a sprint between the Norwegian and the English crews. A sprint that Amundsen would win, reaching the South Pole a month before Scott. His party would return home safely. Scott’s final diary entry, however, would tell a different story.

Sadly, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his party would never make it home.

The Endurance

After Amundsen conquered the South Pole, Shackleton refocused on launching the first expedition to cross Antarctica on foot. A feat that had not yet been achieved. The problem he had was that he had no money to fund the expedition, and an unpaid debt from the Nimrod. Shackleton, though, was undeterred. He took off on a major fundraising tour, not unlike what we’d see in today's startups.

The strategy was an extensive lecture tour of Britain and Ireland, speaking about his polar adventures, as well as those of Scott and Amundsen. Somehow, he scraped together the money from some wealthy benefactors, philanthropists, and from selling the rights to the books he promised to write after his adventure.

Funding secured, Ernest set off on the next stage of preparation: recruiting. Shackleton was a man who understood showmanship, how to sell, and how to engage a crowd. He could also write. And would put together what is commonly referred to as the greatest job ad in the world.

5000 men applied. Along with that, Shackleton began assembling his A-team, which included Frank Wild, second in command and a veteran of the Nimrod expedition, Frank Worsley, skilled navigator and Captain of the Endurance, and Tom Crean, veteran of Scott’s Discovery and Terra Nova expeditions. With the team assembled and plans laid out, the Endurance set sail on August 8th, 1914.

“Do you know on these expeditions we often get very hungry, and if there is a stowaway available, he is the first to be eaten?” Shackleton would bellow upon discovering young Mr. Blackborow.

Things started off very much business as usual for the Endurance. That was until around January, five short months into the trip. The Weddell Sea, treacherous for its pack ice, began to trap the Endurance in its vice-like jaws. By January 19th, they were stuck. Frozen, unable to move, drifting along with the pack ice, in the middle of the Antarctic Sea.

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Dealing with turmoil

The sinking of the ship

Every expedition, every business, every human being in general will suffer bad luck in their lives. Everyone will deal with turmoil. Sir Ernest Shackleton is a man famous not for what he was able to achieve, but for what he was able to navigate. What he was able to endure.

Upon the realization that they were trapped “like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar” as one crewman put it, Shackleton’s focus became twofold: 1) getting the ship unstuck as soon as humanly possible, and 2) keeping the crew’s energy in a place that they can finish the expedition, or at the very least get home safely.

That meant a full diet of dog races, banjo sing-along sessions, and ice football, or soccer, depending on where you are reading this from.

“Shackleton’s spirits were wonderfully irrepressible considering the heartbreaking reverses he has had to put up with and the frustration of all his hopes for this year at least,” Worsley would say. “One would think he had never a care on his mind, and he is the life and soul of half the skylarking and fooling in the ship.”

The position of the Endurance, though, would worsen over time. A long Antarctic winter had passed, and with hope of the boat breaking free, all hope was dashed on October 24th when water began pouring in. A few days later, he gave the official order to abandon ship: "She's going down!" he would bellow to his men.

The sinking of the Endurance was preceded by two long months living on an ice flow, hoping for salvation by reaching the relatively nearby Paulet Island, approximately 250 miles (402 km) away. But this also would elude Shackleton and his men. On April 9th, the ice they called home would break apart, and Shackleton would be forced to order the crew into the lifeboats to head for the nearest land. Five long days at sea later, Shackleton and his exhausted troops had reached the nearby Elephant Island. Safe and on land, for now.

A long and perilous journey

After arriving on Elephant Island, it didn’t take long for reality to set in. Yes, they had two feet on solid land, but the chances of rescue were slim to none. Because of Elephant Island's location, they were unlikely ever to be saved by any external party. If they were going to make it out of Antarctica alive, they would need to do it themselves.

Knowing this, Shackleton would put together what anyone in their right mind would call an impossible plan. He planned to take their 23-foot lifeboat, the James Caird, and sail it 800 miles through the open sea to the South Georgia whaling stations, where he knew help would be available.

He put together five men for the perilous journey: the ship's captain, Frank Worsley, able-bodied Tom Crean, two strong sailors, John Vincent and Timothy McCarthy, and finally, Chippy McNish. The carpenter, McNish, was a useful lad but had earlier clashed with Shackleton when the party was stranded on the ice. Along with those four, Shackleton himself would lead the journey.

It was Sir Ernest’s belief that should he leave McNish on Elephant Island, he could be problematic. Better he keep him close and deal with any issues that may arise himself.

Unfortunately, as was the case with Shackleton and his men, they had landed on the southern shore of South Georgia. And the whaling stations were on the northern coast.

Deliverance

Rather than risk the lives of his men again in the open sea, Sir Ernest devises a new plan to tackle the journey overland. A trek like this on South Georgia had never before been attempted. And for good reason. Their trek across land would take them through steep snow-slopes and glaciers, jagged mountain peaks, and impassable cliffs. But it was the only thing between them and salvation.

For 36 long and sleepless hours, this ringless fellowship (couldn’t help it) trudged one foot after the other through the snow. Led by Sir Ernest himself, with no map and only a rough idea of the direction, they would make their way. Only stopping for food, moving ever so slowly close to the northern coast, narrowly miss crevasses as they go.

The final stage, with the whaling station in sight, was Shackleton’s toughest decision of all. Faced with the prospect of another cold night out in the open, which he feared they would not survive, Shackleton decided they should slide down a steep mountain slope in the dark, between them and the whaling station. Shackleton’s Russian Roulette. This slide, essentially a controlled fall down the mountain, was extremely dangerous. As per his nature, Sir Ernest would test the route first himself.

The rest is history. Shackleton, Frank Worsley, and Tom Crean arrived at the South Georgia whaling station of Stromness on May 20th, 1916, marking the end of their immediate ordeal and the beginning of the efforts to rescue their men still stranded on Elephant Island.

I won’t detail the rescue operation in great depth, but know that Shackleton and his men were rescued once and for all on August 30th 1916. Incredibly, after the shipwreck, months living on floating ice, multiple boat journeys fraught with danger, and the men being isolated for four and a half months on Elephant Island, the Endurance Expedition did not lose one single man.

It bears repeating that Sir Ernest Shackleton was not famous for what he achieved in his life, but for how he could endure. A leader, in the truest sense of the word.

Playbook

In the following short-ish section, I am going to attempt to distill some of Sir Ernest’s well-documented leadership qualities. They are too numerous and varied to do justice, but I will try to detail some of my favorites.

• Vision setting: Although Shackleton’s greatest feats came when in peril, we mustn’t forget he was a visionary leader, able to inspire those around him and win them to his cause.

• Resilience and determination: One thing is certain in life. Things will go wrong. In Shackleton's expeditions, it was no different. Sir Ernest’s ability to stay level-headed, cool under pressure, and move forward slowly but surely put him above his counterparts.

• Innovation and problem-solving: Throughout his expeditions, Ernest would encounter a problem and immediately seek a solution. The solution may be perfect, but in the absence of choice, it was usually the decision that needed to be made.

• Decision making: Nothing about Shackleton's famous expedition went as planned. Meaning there were countless occasions in which tough decisions had to be made. Dangerous maneuvers, tough personnel choice, risk to himself and his men. Sir Ernest knew when a tough decision needed to be made. And he would make it.

• Leading from the front: Not once on the Endurance Expedition did Shackleton ask his men to do something that he would not do himself. The higher the risk, the more likely he would be to do it first. He risked life and limb to make sure his team was safe.

• Empathetic leadership: One of Shackleton’s greatest traits was his ability to put his team first at all times. He would give up food, supplies, or the clothing off his own, if one of his men was in need. They came first, always.

• Inspiration: It is difficult to untangle all of the previous qualities from this final point, as their sum is what makes him inspirational. It is for this reason that we are still fascinated with Shackleton today, a century after his failed expedition.

Fun facts

• Shackleton testified at the Titanic inquiry: Ernest was so revered for his sailing and expedition experience that he was called in to speak at the inquiry into the most famous shipwreck in history.

• A proud Brit, he volunteered in World War I: However, he was unable to serve due to age. Unfortunately, a number of men from the Endurance did serve. Losing their lives only months after returning home.

• Sir Ernest was voted #11 in the BBC’s 100 Greatest Britons: Voted by the people, he fell just outside the top, which included Churchill, Princess Diana, John Lennon, and more.

• Shackleton has an infamous brother, Frank: Frank achieved notoriety as a suspect in the 1907 theft of the Irish Crown Jewels, which have never been recovered.

Extra reading

• Endurance - April, 2015

• Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure - February, 2020

• How Ernest Shackleton Led His Crew Through 497 Days Of Being Trapped Near Antarctica - May, 2020

And that's it! You can follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn, and also don’t forget to check out Athyna while you’re at it.

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