Endurance is
the legendary survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton. In 1914, Shackleton and
his crew set sail for Antarctica aboard the Endurance, a three-masted
ship named for the Shackleton family motto: Fortitudine Vincimus (By Endurance We Conquer). Back in
Shackleton’s era, such family mottos were taken very seriously. These
statements were the modern-day equivalent of the corporate mission or value
statement and to live or behave in a manner in contradiction to one was to
bring disgrace to a family. This has me thinking out loud that there could very
well be value in having such a statement as the magnetic north of our moral
compass.
Such simple motto statements
can have enormous power and influence in our life and the lives of others. Shackleton’s
experience is a clear case in point as explained in a wonderful leadership blog
by pastor and author Tommy Kiedis, The
Leaders Life and Work (http://www.tommykiedis.com).
Tommy explains that a year into the expedition the Endurance became trapped in an ice pack in the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic.
It remained stuck in the frozen sea for ten months before finally cracking up
due to the glacial pressure of the surrounding ice.
In an attempt to save his entire
crew, Shackleton and five crewmen made an incredibly dangerous ocean crossing by
sailing 800 miles in a small boat to reach a tiny island that they had to find
or all would have been lost. Theologian Leonard Sweet also uses this story of Shackleton
in his book, Summoned to Lead, to
illustrate universal leadership principals. Essentially Dr. Sweet proposes that
whereas some leaders are made and other leaders are born, some
leaders are summoned!
In Shackleton’s case, I would
propose he drew upon all three methods! Like most young men of his time, he was
expected to lead (i.e. Leadership Born)
even though he did not come from a particularly prominent family. His first
experience in the polar regions was as a third officer on Captain Robert Falcon
Scott's Discovery Expedition of 1901 where I am sure he learned the skills,
attitudes, and qualities expected of leading others into dangerous and unknown
waters (Leadership Made or Learned).
By the time of his now famous expedition, Shackleton actually led two others, he
turned disaster into victory by saving his entire crew against incredible odds
of anyone surviving (Leadership Summoned).
You see, I believe that living
with the constant reminder of Fortitudine
Vincimus, Shackleton would prefer
death over any dishonor. He knew that if he and his crew could endure the harsh
conditions just one more mile or one more minute, they would be that much
closer to salvation. Such a life motto provided him with the physical and
emotional courage to attempt to sail hundreds of miles in a freezing ocean in a
small wooden lifeboat with only rudimentary survival and sailing aides in an attempt
to not just save his own life, but the lives of many others. In his 1956
address to the British Association, Sir Raymond Priestley, one of Shackleton’s contemporaries,
said other polar explorers had their unique qualities and strengths but “when
disaster strikes, and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for
Shackleton!"
So, do you have a guiding life
motto? Granted it does not need to be in Latin, although it sounds pretty cool
when it is! For instance, if I was to choose the motto: A Life that Matters, in Latin (using a simple on-line Google
translator) it would be Vita Integro. Not bad,
huh? Here as some questions that may help you discover a powerful Life Motto.
What do you want to be known
for?
What matters most to you?
What is your greatest personal
strength?
What words would motivate you
during the difficult times?
What words could act as a
positive and constant affirmation that you could use to calibrate your actions
and motives every day?
Trust me, I need such a moral compass
to remind me what should be most important. Maybe a life motto could be of
service to you too? In fact, I would recommend adding yours to your email
signature. It would certainly generate some discussion, but it would also be a
great accountability tool. If you are willing to proclaim to people what your
life intention is or what is stands for, then you best be living in and up to it! It may also be a great family or other organizational
activity to facilitate. In this day of corporate values lists as long as your
arm, maybe just a simple phrase would be all you, your family, and/or your
organization needs to stay centered and focused on what matters most and how
you will live your life no matter what happens. Even if you find yourself in
stormy seas . . . perhaps especially then.
As always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I invite
you to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching
experiences I offer can provide an impact.
If you want to know more about
finding your leadership platform, I would direct you to Leading Out Loud: Strategies for
Raising Your Leadership Voice! available on Amazon.com. Also, I am
happy to announce that I am now offering a two-part NEXT LEVEL Servant Leadership
Training. The first part is a fun and interactive introduction into what
Servant Leadership is and the impact it can have, and the second part provides
an Action Plan to create and activate a Servant Leadership culture
curriculum within your organization. Please feel free to contact me for a no
obligation inquiry.
Vita Integro,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant – Out
Loud Strategies
Independent Coach, Speaker,
and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email
= bill@outloudinc.com
Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com
For more information on the
John Maxwell Team, please visit
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