What all great leaders have in common is the ability to find the right people for their organizations. When you fill your organization with good fits, those who believe in what you believe success happens.
Let’s look at a historical incident to understand the significance of this management philosophy.
Early in the twentieth century, an English explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to explore Antarctic and along with it an ambitious pursuit of crossing the south polar continent, which he described as “the biggest polar journey ever attempted”, in an interview to the New York Times.
Shackleton and his crew set out on a 350-tonne ship. Though he and his crew never reached the continent of Antarctica, the Shackleton expedition, from 1914 to 1916, is a compelling story of leadership.
When his expedition encountered serious trouble, he had to reinvent the team’s goals. He had begun the voyage with a mission of exploration, but it quickly became a mission of survival. Crisis struck the expedition again and again. The ship encountered miles of ice, was trapped in winter, got wrecked and finally sank. The crew moved on in life boats and reached an abandoned island. Then, they eventually found help.
However, there was no death, no mutiny, no depression throughout the ordeal, but a highly motivated team ready to follow their leader.
This was because Shackleton hired the right fits for the job. He found his amazing team with a simple and different ad. It did not say WHAT he was looking for from the recruits but a crew that believed in the expedition.
His actual ad ran like this:
“Men wanted for hazardous journeys. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
Interesting?
The people who applied for the job were those who thought it sounded great. Shackleton hired only people who believed in what he believed. When your employees believe you, they will guarantee your success.
They won’t look to you for innovative solutions during a crisis, they will find them.
Startup TN