GCAS Review Shackleton’s Leadership Skills as seen on the Nimrod Expedition, and the Achievements of the Nimrod Expedition 1907-9.

The centenary of one of the lesser known of the ‘Heroic Era ’ Antarctic expeditions, Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition is in 2007-9. The intention of this review is to consider two aspects of this expedition: the leadership skills displayed by Shackleton, and the achievements of the expedition. It has become very fashionable to see Shackleton’s leadership style as a role model for successful leadership today; even being looked at as a leadership model in current Canterbury University texts for courses on business management. This review, however, will look at the opinions of those who worked with Shackleton along with the views of various historians, and attempt to come to a more objective conclusion regarding his leadership ability. Shackleton is often seen as the Antarctic explorer who achieved little, and became a ‘hero ’ anyway. This review will examine the validity of these claims in the context of the Nimrod Expedition. Background/Overview of the Nimrod Expedition Shackleton was a key member of R.F.Scott’s Discovery Expedition of 1901-3, but he had contracted scurvy on the Southern Journey and was sent back to England early on the grounds of ill health. He was devastated at this, and decided to lead his own expedition t