Mental Endurance in Endurance Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the Worldvividly recreates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to cross the Antarctic continent from one side to the other. Five months later and still 100 miles from land, their ship,Endurance, became trapped. The expedition survived an Antarctic winter in the icebound ship, then, afterEndurancesank, five months camped on the ice followed by a perilous boat journey through storms and icebergs to remote and unvisited Elephnat Island, 600 miles from Cape Horn. From there, their only hope was for someone to fetch help. In a dramatic climax to this amazing survival story, Shackleton

A. Bad evaluation of circumstances and stubbornness instead of perseverance. Shackleton was ready to depart to Antarctica however; just when he was at South Georgia, local seamen warned him that he might get trapped and advised him to wait until next year. At this point he had the opportunity to make a decision and wait, but due to the compromises reached with his sponsors and the conditions in Britain getting in WWI he took a risk to go forth and as a result, underestimate the situation. This I can consider to be the main crisis.

Our footfalls crunched along the gravel path as the four of us finished our first run at altitude. We breathed in the crisp mountain air, trying to force oxygen into our lungs. Slowly, we walked to the football field, where we played Ultimate Frisbee before eating dinner, showering, and going to bed. This is how we spent our first day at Jim Ryun Running Camp, hosted by Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Former Olympian Jim Ryun organized the camp with the help of his wife, son, and other coaches. Going to running camp gave me an opportunity to strengthen both my ability to compete in cross-country and my faith in God.

Endurance is a novel that explains the giant failure of a trans-Antarctic expedition. The entire operation was led by bold and brave man by the name of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The purpose of the expedition was to attempt to cross the Antarctic continent in the year 1914. It was an outrageous and at some points, a hopeless struggle for survival for Shackleton and his crew. He had a crew of twenty-eight strong and noble men, which were resilient and determined on this journey, of about two years. The book’s title, Endurance, is also the ship Shackleton and his crew used on the expedition. The ship was unfortunately crushed by the ice very early in the men’s journey, leaving them stranded on drifting ice, for about a year, but that was just the beginning.

One thing about Ernest Shackleton is that he is a gutsy man, he went on three expeditions across the seas all the way to the Antarctic. Arguably, someone could say that one of his personalities could be described as Dauntless. Dauntless means that he is very confident in himself or even the bottom of the barrel and that he shows no fear in what he does. When he goes down to the south he encounters various different challenges to conquer and

For an exemplary leader, what is one of the highest compliments that you could ever receive? Sir Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer who–after failing to reach the Southern Pole first–wanted to be the first to ever accomplish a trans–Antarctic expedition. On October 27th, 1915 Shackleton’s boat–the Endurance–was crushed by the pressure of the melting Antarctic ice; leaving Shackleton and his crew stranded in the Antarctic. On August 30th, 1916 after a treacherous one and a half years of living in the Antarctic and surrounding islands, Shackleton and his crew were rescued following an unimaginable story of survival. The qualities of leadership Shackleton exhibited that resulted in the survival of him and his crew were, having certain

Many sources of stress today have been around for years, such as ineffective, hostile and incompetent leaders; lack of personal fit with roles; lack of a clear job description or chain of command; fear, uncertainty, and doubt about changes (DeFrank, R.s & Ivancevich, J.M., 1998). As in the readings of Perkin’s book, Leading at the Edge, the stressors where of those men who had just lost their means of survival when Endurance was dismantled by the ice in front of their eyes and they were faced with the risk of not finishing their mission. But the difference in this case was the impact of the unknown future. Shackleton provided the opportunity to demonstrate a positive stressors as he lead by example. His leadership skill of being able to be

Shackleton?s yearning to explore the Antarctic was born out of his desires to achieve the improbable and attain fame and notoriety (Morrell and Capparell 32). Both the Artic and the Antarctic remained unexplored in the first decade of the twentieth century, and the promises of celebrity, honor for one?s country, and possible wealth were the romantic rewards for the explorers of the day (28, 55).

In contrast to the competency approach restricting “post-heroic” practices, Shackleton’s voyage demonstrates that situations test the regular understanding and perception of a leader and employee relationship. According to Michel (1962) rather than bureaucracy vanishing, comparisons are made with a ghost “lurking inside the democratic principles”. Thus demonstrating, post/prior-bureaucratic ideals are interpolated and further addressing the notion that post-heroic practices have “branched”.This notion is conveyed through Browning’s (2007) brief analysis of the “endurance” arguing that leaders, including Shackleton can alter their approaching methods to the needs of the employee’s in “periods of disaster”. These approaches are advocated through

Shackleton’s voyage employ’s that through “times of crisis and desperation” the regular understanding and perception of a leader and employee relationship are tested. However as Michel (1962) points out, rather than bureaucracy disappearing, he compares it to a ghost “lurking inside the democratic principles”. This argument is brought about through Browning’s (2007) analysis of the “Endurance”. Browning (2007) argues that leaders such as Shackleton can change the way they approach the needs of employee during times of hardship. This approach is advocated briefly through the Contingency and skills approach theory. For example, Shackleton adopted a post-buearatic view, noticing value in leader-to-member relations. He was prepared to go to any

Firstly, the men encountered an external conflict. While they were approaching the icy cold continent, their boat, The Endurance, got stuck in the ice. The men stayed on the ship for as long as they could before they knew it was time to leave, otherwise they would be crushed by the ice that was collapsing in on the ship. The crew

With regards to toughness, Douglas Mawson was at the top of the pack. He was tall, lean, and muscular. Strong-minded and keen for a challenge, Mawson landed in Antarctica to take on the toughest conditions the world had to offer. From his landing in 1907, Mawson had accomplished several historic feats. He joined a team and traveled to the South Magnetic Pole, and had been the first to climb Mount Erebus. In his mind, he was untouchable. In his mind, Antarctica was defeated; another notch on his belt. Searching for a new challenge, he set out to map the untouched Antarctic coastlines. He would return, but not without scars reminding him that Antarctica is not to be taken lightly.

The case study examined Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic exploration with his ship the Endurance. This expedition took place in 1915 and was set to cross the continent from sea to sea. Shackleton was aiming to sail the boat through the Weddell Sea and then take his men to the Ross Sea on the opposite side of the continent, therefore making it a 1500 mile journey for the

The dark and desolate polar nights have caused many a man to go mad. The absence of light during that time of year in the Antarctic region often filled those that were nearby with a strange melancholy and depression. Many have acquired illnesses and some have even come to lose their minds because of it. The crew of the Endurance however, maintained a cheerful spirit throughout these months of dark gloom. The following essay will consist of evidence showing why the dark months of the polar night left many in a psychotic state, how the crew of the Endurance managed to remain with an effervescent spirit through those months, and how their strategy managed to make all the difference in the world.