Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from Antarctica

by Arthur Ainsberg

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 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.

108 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Arthur Ainsberg is a writer and a Wall Street executive. A veteran of the financial services industry, Mr. Ainsberg has served in senior management and consulting roles at Oppenheimer, Odyssey Partners, and Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Ainsberg is also a scholar on the Endurance, the early 20th century expedition to Antarctica by Sir Ernest Shackleton. In 2008, he published his first book, Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from Antarctica, which highlights the most important leadership lessons to be learned from Shackleton’s story. Mr. Ainsberg speaks and lectures frequently on the lessons of Shackleton’s nearly 17 months at sea, including nearly 15 months stranded on an ice island.

Mr. Ainsberg has experienced his own medical challenges, having been diagnosed in 1975 at the age of twenty-eight with Hodgkin’s Disease. At the time of his diagnosis, doctors had only recently developed a method of treatment that could cure the disease. His interest in medicine, born from personal experience, combined with his love of history, set him on the path to writing his upcoming book: BREAKTHROUGH: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, which St. Martin’s Press will publish in September 2010.

Mr. Ainsberg continues to work in the financial sector. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors at both Nomura Securities, Inc. and National Financial Partners Corp.

In 2009, Mr. Ainsberg was named the Chief Operating Officer for the Lehman Brothers Inc., In Liquidation Bankruptcy, which represents the largest and most complex bankruptcy in American history.

A widely recognized securities expert witness, Mr. Ainsberg has testified in a number of securities fraud cases on issues involving due diligence, regulatory compliance, suitability, valuation, and securities damages.

Mr. Ainsberg received his BBA and MBA degrees in accounting and finance, respectively, from Baruch College and has been a member of its Board of Trustees since 1995. An avid traveler, Mr. Ainsberg has visited all fifty states and fifty-five countries on seven continents. He has also been to every baseball stadium and presidential museum in America. He currently resides in New York City, where he was born, educated, and has spent his entire career.

Reviews

[Annette Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book gleaning leadership wisdom from Shackleton's mission failure...great perspective and let's face it, most of us have more failure than success - so let's all draw from the lessons in failure..

[Sara Hlín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gríðarlega áhugaverð lesning þar sem fókuserað er á leiðtogahæfileika Shackelton og hvernig hann hélt uppi góðum liðsanda hjá 27 mönnum í miklum hrakningum. Hann kom mönnunum öllum heim lifandi úr hættilegum leiðangri á Suðurpólinn sem klúðraðist algjörlega. Ferðin tók 2 ár og í tæpt ár voru mennirnir í tjöldum í hrikalegum aðstæðum. Þó svo að ég vonist til að sleppa við að lenda með mína áhöfn í viðlíka aðstæðum er hægt læra ýmislegt af Shackelton.