Leading at The Edge

In Leading at The Edge, author Dennis N.T. Perkins and his co-authors explore the story of the 1914 British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton aboard the ship Endurance as an example of exceptional leadership. Stranded on the Antarctic ice for almost two years, Shackleton’s entire crew emerged intact. The authors of Leading at The Edge seek to illustrate what qualities and strategies were necessary for Shackleton’s crew to endure such hardship, and still remain a cohesive team. The difference, as explained by Perkins and his colleagues, is that Shackleton fostered significant team building and instilled an “esprit d’corps” that allowed the crew to emerge intact after their ordeal. Perkins extracts 10 strategies used by Shackleton to lead his crew to safety—strategies he believes can be used to lead under any circumstances.