Lessons in Leadership
A Lecture by Arthur Ainsberg
Based on the extraordinary survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton
and his 1914 Antarctic Endurance Expedition
About Arthur Ainsberg
Arthur Ainsberg has extensive and diversified experience in the financial services sector. His career includes significant management, financial and compliance experience. During his career, Mr. Ainsberg has served in senior management roles at Oppenheimer & Co., Odyssey Partners, and Brahman Capital Corp. In addition, during his career, he was associated with the CPA firms of Spicer & Oppenheim and EisnerAmper LLP…
Arthur Ainsberg in Antarctica, 2008
About the Lecture
Arthur Ainsberg, a well-known and highly successful figure in the financial sector for three decades, has spent years studying Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the great British explorers of the early 20th century. Shackleton led one of the most fascinating survival stories in history: the 1914 Endurance expedition to Antarctica, an expedition that should have meant the death of 28 men if it were not for Shackleton's remarkable leadership…
Leadership Lessons
Feel the Purpose in your Gut
Choose a Powerhouse Number 2
Choose a cheerful, flexible Crew
Adapt confidently to Setbacks
Keep dissidents Close
Respect the dignity of every Individual
Balance work with Joy
Shackleton & Endurance
Sir Ernest Shackleton never made it to the South Pole. He never reached his goal of crossing the Antarctic continent, either. Yet Shackleton has gone down in history as one of the finest heroes of Polar exploration, a man who overcame great odds in the faces of danger and adversity to help cultivate one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. His leadership skills on the 1914 - 1917 Trans-Antarctica Expedition, widely known as the Endurance expedition in honor of the ship's name, saved his 27-man crew from fatally succumbing to the frigid temperatures and icy waters of the Antarctic seas after their ship was crushed in ice. Miles from land and cut off from all human contact, Shackleton managed to keep his crew - and hope - alive despite the tremendous odds stacked against them.
Despite the South Pole having been reached by Amundsen in December 1911, Shackleton still had big plans for his Endurance expedition. His goal to cross the Antarctic from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea was a feat never accomplished before. The strategy was to employ two ships; one to reach the Antarctic through the Weddell Sea and another to reach it through the Ross Sea. The Endurance would sail into the Weddell Sea and drop off six men to travel across the Antarctic continent until they reached the Ross Sea at the opposite end. The Aurora would deploy several men after arriving on the Ross Sea coast. These men would drop off supplies along the second half of the route for the traveling crew that was making its way toward the Ross Sea. The Aurora would remain at the Ross Sea coast until the traveling crew arrived.
NOTICE:
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold.
Long months of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful.
Honor and recognition in case of success.– Ernest Shackleton
The Arthur Ainsberg Book
Arthur Ainsberg has written a book on the leadership lessons of Ernest Shackleton
On January 18, 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men were shipwrecked within the frigid waters off of Antarctica-home to the harshest climate on earth. They were 1,200 miles from civilization with no way to communicate with the outside world. They lived on ice floes for nearly a year, eating penguins and seals for survival. Their chances of returning home alive were slim to none.
But their story doesn't end here. Under the leadership of Shackleton, a potentially fatal disaster turned into the greatest survival story of all time. Unlike other polar expeditions, the crew experienced no mutiny, starvation, cannibalism, and disease. Group morale and unity flourished. And, most importantly, every man under Shackleton's care returned home alive.
So how did he do it?
In Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from Antarctica, Arthur Ainsberg highlights the ten most important leadership lessons that readers can learn from Shackleton's story. These lessons are designed to help anyone become a more efficient and successful leader, whether in their personal or business lives.
For over 90 years, the Shackleton adventure has inspired thousands of people to become better leaders:
Let it Inspire You!
