By reading this Chapter, I found that there is a very big gap between I and a good leader, Shackleton. Especially, I really saw the difference in behaviors such as “Find a New Mark” and “Do Something”, so I write about those two.
●Find a New Mark
When Shackleton realized the limit of his team's goal, to go across the Antarctic Continent, he bravely changed the original aim of the expedition to the new one, to let all members get home alive. As a result, no one died coming back home. This way, it is important to be flexible for shifting the first plan to another depending on the circumstance.
I am not flexible. When I was working for a convenience store (I was a high school student then), a customer visited to buy a cigarette. I asked him to touch the button which is for age-verification, but he refused. He looks clearly an adult over 50, so I was no problem for selling it. However, there was a rule that every customer has to push it who wants a cigarette. So I said "as long as you do not push the button, I cannot sell you the cigarette." Then, he got angry, and went away without buying anything. I felt uncomfortable, too.
However, I found my behavior was not right after reading Shackleton. I needed to be elastic for the matter. My aim should be "To sell our products" as a staff, but I was really hold by the rule, so my aim was changed to "To obey the rule" unconsciously. Although I am not persistent so much now different from what I was in the past, I really think I have to be more willing to shifting the goal following Shackleton.
I am really conservative (not in a political meaning), so it is not easy for me to change the original goal to another one. However, to be a good leader, I thought it is essential to be elastic depending on the situation.
Be flexible.
●Do Something
Even when Shackleton faced a desperate situation, he tried to do something tentatively. In such a cruel situation, it was not strange that many members got upset, but by trying something, he and other members could focus on not what they had lost but what they were facing at the time, and also could make them closer by working together toward one goal. We need to do something even in a hopeless circumstance.
I am really careful, and I tend to take an action after thinking thoroughly because I want to accomplish something with absolute certainty, therefore, I could not agree with Shackleton's idea ("Do Something") first. However, I realized that tentatively doing something has other good points rather than whether the action is appropriate. That can shift crew's negative attention to a (little) positive one, moreover, make them get closer than ever.
Even when Shackleton faced a desperate situation, he tried to do something tentatively. In such a cruel situation, it was not strange that many members got upset, but by trying something, he and other members could focus on not what they had lost but what they were facing at the time, and also could make them closer by working together toward one goal. We need to do something even in a hopeless circumstance.
I am really careful, and I tend to take an action after thinking thoroughly because I want to accomplish something with absolute certainty, therefore, I could not agree with Shackleton's idea ("Do Something") first. However, I realized that tentatively doing something has other good points rather than whether the action is appropriate. That can shift crew's negative attention to a (little) positive one, moreover, make them get closer than ever.
So, I felt it is more important to make a positive mood in such a terrible situation where they face their limitation because I think solidarity is the most essential thing to survive when they feel powerless at the edge. Of course, there must be a situation that requires certainty, so I will try "Do Something" as the situation demands.
Be flexible!!
