HRS RECOMMENDED READING
Current HRS Recommended Reading includes:
"Leadership" ~ by Rudolf W Giuliani and Ken Kurson
"Everyone Needs A Mentor" ~ by David Clutterbuck
"The New Alchemists" ~ by Charles Handy

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BOOK REVIEW
by
Patricia Kelly
"Shackleton’s Way"
by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell
In Association with Amazon.co.uk An expedition that failed to reach its stated goals may not seem the most promising source of inspiration for success in business leadership. This is the story Shackleton’s 1914 expedition in the Endurance, a tale so heroic that, if it had been written as work of fiction, might seem unbelievable. Astonishingly, despite suffering immense hardships for almost two years, during which acts of enormous courage and daring were undertaken, every single member of the 27-man crew survived; they attributed their survival to Shackleton himself.

So how is the story of the Endurance expedition relevant to today’s world of business? The answer is Shackleton’s superb leadership skills. Drawing on archive material, crew members’ diaries, anecdotes and photographs, the story is told chronologically. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Shackleton’s leadership, from hiring the right team for the job, motivating and nurturing individuals to get the best from them, through to overcoming obstacles and crisis management. There are also interviews with successful people who have used Shackleton’s style of leadership in their business lives.

Shackleton inspired and motivated his men by personal example and an unwavering sense of optimism. His extraordinary ability to understand character meant that he was able to get the best out of people and harness individual talents. Recognising that survival depended on the team continually pulling together, when it became necessary to abandon the ice floes and take to the lifeboats, he ensured that nature’s pessimists were placed in his boat so that they did not de-motivate the others - a pertinent reminder of how essential it is to know your team and how it operates best.

Shackleton’s Way is a book about the man, his courage and his total commitment to his men. I guarantee you will not be able to put down!