4 Leaders: First to the Poles: the Leadership Challenge

Description

What are the qualities that make a good leader? 4 Leaders examines the activities of four polar explorers: Nansen, Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen; four men who are feted as heroes of Polar exploration, and inspired a generation of explorers. In particular, we learn about the judgements made as leaders of expeditions. All four men undertook perilous adventures and were challenged by the unknown in the most hostile and lonely environments on earth. Theirs was not a world with GPS or sophisticated digital equipment. They went into the unknown with the risk that they would never be seen or heard from again. They had no lifeline with civilisation and the decisions they made resulted in life or death. True leadership demands an extraordinary ability to foresee the consequences of one's decisions and 4 Leaders examines how different people in different situations managed their role as leader. A fascinating look into the world of Polar exploration and the men who dared to venture where no one else had.

Louis Coutts is a management consultant based in Melbourne. He studied management at various American universities, including Stanford, Colombia, Kellogg and the University of California. He also founded the Hawthorne Academy, which provides practical courses in different areas of business.