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CURRENT NEWSLETTER
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Lindemann Chimney Supply sells wholesale only to the chimney and hearth industry.
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 June 2007
Life and Death - Leadership Lessons
Sir Ernest Shackleton's most spectacular exploration
attempt - crossing place Antarctica by foot in 1914-ended when his ship was crushed in the ice of the place Weddell Sea.
Caught adrift on a melting ice floe for five months before reaching a small island, Shackleton and his 27 men face the unrelenting cold with skimpy provisions and flimsy tents.
Shackleton then picked a small group to voyage 800 miles over treacherous seas in a rickety lifeboat to a whaling station. He found another ship, packed it with provisions and returned to rescue the rest of the crew.
Because he succeeded in keeping every man alive for 634 harrowing days, Shackleton has inspired many to study his leadership. His lessons:
Communicate. Immediately after the ship sank, Shackleton addressed his crew, candidly assessing their situation but also detailing a plan of action. He thereafter communicated constantly with his men, keeping careful tabs on their thoughts and morale.
Maintain your leadership.
Shackleton understood that as the crisis deepened, some would lose heart, questioning his decisions and authority. So while asking for everyone's support and help, he left no one in doubt about one thing: He was in charge.
Remain clear-eyed and optimistic. Shackleton remained open to alternative plans and solutions. His
upbeat attitude instilled confidence in his men.
Involve everyone. To keep the diverse group united,
loyal and focused, Shackleton made sure each person had tasks that contributed to the group's welfare.
Demand teamwork. Shackleton minimized status differences, insisting on mutual respect and courtesy,
and reinforced the team message: “We are one - we live or die together.”
Twisting a Round Idea to Fit Your Square Peg
Don't toss aside an idea for improving your marketing when it doesn't fit your business or customer base. Kate Holmes, editor and publisher of Too Good to be Threw, a newsletter for the consignment and retail business, remembers giving a man advice on how to attract more customers into his clothing shop located in a
wealthy tourist town.
Holmes suggested that the man send out some of his staffers to pass out brochures to the crowds of tourists on the street. His response? A burst of laughter.
The man said the idea was the stupidest on he had ever heard. “My staff is too sophisticated for that,” he said. Then he added for good measure, “And my shoo is much too elegant.”
The shop owner was no doubt right about his staff and his shop, but he was wrong about the idea.
And indeed, a year later he had the good manners to call
Holmes to tell her that he had begun passing out elegantly engraved invitations for wine tastings, gallery openings, and other chic soirees-and adaptation of her original idea.
Be like the shop owner who (after he finished laughing) reconsidered Holmes' suggestion and recognized that while the original marketing idea didn't fit, its underlying premise did. His challenge? Figuring out a suitable adaptation that fit his unique situation. He rose to the challenge. You can too!
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