"Endurance" - A Real Story of Leadership and Survival

Survival has become a hot topic for pop culture.  “Man vs. Wild” has made Bear Grylls an international television star by featuring his ability to extricate himself from any hostile geography.  Grylls makes fans swoon – or wretch – by eating whatever plant or bug he stumbles upon.  They marvel at the tools he whittles out of foliage he finds along the way.  Sometimes, when he’s lucky, he scores “a bit of protein” through cooking small game he captures.  He always makes it to the chopper pickup, the highway or train tracks.  Grylls’ skills are certainly impressive, but let’s paint a bleaker picture.

Strip away Gore-Tex jackets, insulated hiking boots, merino wool long underwear, cell phones, GPS devices and Swiss Army knives.  Do that in your day-to-day life, let alone stranded in a remote place, and life becomes unpleasant.  Now imagine operating in that condition in an environment where there are no plants or bugs, where the only wood comes from the ship which carried you there (which was crushed by ice) where the average temperature is 20-below zero, and where the only thing to eat is a 1000-pound bull seal that you need to kill before it eats you instead.   Imagine there is no civilization for 700 miles, and 600 of that span is the most dangerous sea on the planet.  One final thought, you’re responsible for the survival of all 28 members of your party, yet no one else knows where you are, so there is no hope of any rescue.  Now you’re beginning to understand the situation in which Sir Earnest Shackleton found himself on the ice of the Weddell Sea off Antarctica in January 1915.

While rummaging through our bookshelves I scavenged “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing.  The blurb at the bottom of the cover reads, “One of the great adventure stories of our time.”  I wouldn’t argue with the statement.  The book details the 18-month struggle the crew of the Endurance endured as they attempted to rescue themselves from a seemingly impossible situation at the pole of the earth.

Given how well publicized the excursion was, I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by sharing that the entire party survived and returned safely to England.  What I won’t share are the many trials the crew experienced between being stranded and reaching help.  The book is an amazing story of the strength of human will, and our ability to adapt to virtually anything.  Beyond the adventures and hardships, the book is remarkable in its portrayal of Shackleton, who proved himself not only a hero, but also, more importantly, an astute organizer and leader.   While his method for selecting company members was questionable, his ability to steer even problematic crew toward achievement of the team’s shared task was inspired.  With few exceptions, he is the model for the leader I aspire to be, and I wish I had encountered more like him in my life.

Pick up the book if you find yourself in need of a good weekend read, or if you’re contemplating doing something that you’re not sure you can achieve.  After reading this I believe people – myself included – are long on excuses and short on understanding of their potential to endure.