Sir Ernest Shackleton - A charismatic leader in times of changes

Characteristics of today’s business world and selection of a appropriate leader

The literature is full of theories and explanations, why and how leader behave in certain situation, and what a perfect leader must have to perform outstanding. With the concepts and the definition it became clearer that leadership appears in groups with the result of changes.

A closer look inside the business world today shows, that a lot of crisis takes place in various companies every day. Inherent with the globalization and the information availability and transparency is also that business cycles become faster and faster. Thereby only companies which are organized and structured very flexible, and are able to adapt themselves on new situations are successful.

So the task for a manager is to be prepared on new changing situation, to foresee situations and to solve upcoming crisis successfully.

Due to that the following paper is based on a personality and a successful leader of the past: Eric Shackleton. As he was able to master his extreme crisis situations very successful, he is also today a very respected and admired person and a architype for todays manager.

To learn from theories is more effective by applying them to an existing situation. Due to that in this paper a short description of Shackleton, his live and personality takes place in order to give and insight in his actions. Thereby special characteristics and actions of Shackletons are pointed out. Based on that, the analytical steps are made, with the use of charismatic as well as transformational leadership theories. Thereby a justification of those theories is made as well as the differences of those is highlighted.

In the end a transformation into today´s buisness life is made.