Leadership through constraints and limiting factors

Leadership through Constraints and Limiting Factors
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Leadership through Constraints and Limiting Factors
Introduction
Throughout the journey through the Endurance, several aspects of management and businesses can be withdrawn from the actions of the stakeholders of the trip. For example, the elements of leadership styles, exploration, project management, and procurement can be seen being into practice in the case or journey. The case can be insightful to the today’s organizational leaders as they can learn how to lead their businesses in the trying times.
Summary of the Case
Shackleton and a group of 27 men departed to be the first to cross Antarctica (Koehn, 2010). As the journey continued, the ship became frozen with ice from the Weddell Sea, which carried the Endurance off the route, away from the destination. In October 1915, ten months later, the Endurance underwent irrecoverable destruction by the huge ice glaciers and sinks. The sinking made Shackleton and his troop leave the ship and settle on the iceberg (Koehn, 2010). Shackleton later landed in an unpopulated Elephant Island (Koehn, 2010). Also, Shackleton and his five other crew, in April 1916, travel in a lifeboat from Elephant Island back to South Georgia Island, in which they traverse the unexplored inland to obtain support at a whaling area. After many trials and four months, the crew comes back to save the remaining 22 men who were still breathing.

History of the Company and Nature of the Industry
The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) was established in London in 1830. The company promoted the development of scientific and geographic expertise and knowledge by facilitating and financing journeys to Asia, Africa, the Antarctic, and the Arctic. The company gathered the maximum possible details and information about the vast uncharted regions of the Earth, probably occupying more than 50 percent of the earth’s area (Koehn, 2010). In 1901, the RGS funded the exploration activities, in conjunction with other financial supporters, by paying approximately $5.2 million for Scott’s custom-built Discovery (Koehn, 2010). Besides, the exploration industry gained popularization in the latter 19th century and early 20th century, when the pursuit for scientific expertise fuelled several travelers and their aides to support rich polar journeys (Koehn, 2010).
Primary Leader
Ernest Shackleton was born in County Kildare, Ireland in 1874 to a Catholic mother and Anglo-Irish father (Koehn, 2010). He developed a passion for English poetry and the sea when he was a youth. Besides, at the age of 16, Shackleton persuaded his father to permit him to visit the sea (Koehn, 2010). In December 1899, he was tasked to a ship that would transport the crew to South Africa in which Britain was battling the Afrikaner-directed South African Republican and Orange Free State in Boer War (Koehn, 2010). Under Shackleton’s leadership, the crew could rescue most of the supplies, food, and lifeboats, Shackelton could organize the journey and uphold his troop optimistic in the hostile cold temperatures when the ship was destructed (Koehn, 2010). Shackleton was criticized for his ignorance to postpone the journey to avoid the ice collision that resulted in the damages (Koehn, 2010).
Key Individuals and their Relationship with the Expedition
Several stakeholders took part in the accomplishment of the mission of the Endurance voyage. The British government, for example, granted Shackleton $880,000 (Koehn, 2010). Also, Dame Janet Stancomb Wills donated some money. Dame was a sole heiress to a tobacco business. Sir James Key Caird also participated by donating $2.1 million to Shackleton due to his confidence and determination (Koehn, 2010). On the other hand, the crew also consisted of several people with different roles. A Scottish physician, Dr. Alexander Macklin, was assigned the task to the medical crew. Again, veteran Antarctic officers, such as Tom Crean, were responsible for the safety and rescue roles. Ultimately, Henry “Chippy” McNeish was the carpenter of the ship (Koehn, 2010).

References
Koehn, N. (2010). Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance. Harvard Business School, 803(127), 1-39.