Case Study - Skeleton

The Voyage – An Introduction

December 1914: The Endurance departs South Georgia Island for the South Pole with twenty-seven crewmen and leader Sir Ernest Shackleton. The goal: for a crew of six men to be deposited at the Antarctic coast near Weddell Sea, be the first to traverse the continent of Antarctica overland, and be picked up again by the Endurance at the opposite coast, near Ross Sea.

January 1915: Within sight of Antarctica, the Endurance becomes trapped in pack ice.

October 1915: Shackleton orders the crew to abandon ship once it becomes clear the Endurance is irreparably damaged and sinking. The crew attempts to drag heavy lifeboats over ice, but soon abandons the effort.

November 1915: Shackleton and crew camp on an ice floe while the Endurance sinks nearby.

December 1915: They set out on another attempted march in search of land. Due to terrible weather conditions, Shackleton orders them to stop and wait.

April 1916: Shackleton and his crew travel in three lifeboats to Elephant Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Antarctica. Shackleton and five crewmen set off for help in direction of South Georgia Island, where there was a whaling station. Almost a month later, they reach the station.

August 1916: After several frantic attempts, Shackleton secures a ship for the return journey to Elephant Island. All twenty-two stranded men were rescued alive.

Entrepreneurship of Shackleton – An Analysis

"Entrepreneurship is the relentless pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled." This is possibly most precise definition of “Entrepreneurship”. The story sets a great example for how to motivate people, allocate resources, and act with great integrity in moments of crisis.

To be a successful entrepreneur, following are the essential skills:-

 Belief

 Vision

 Focus

 Discipline

 Determination

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In following lines, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s entrepreneur skills are being evaluated with...