Shackleton's enduring legacy

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s name is one forever associated with the Antarctic Heroic Era (1895–1922), the latter year being that of his death. Shackleton was an intrepid explorer, voyaging to Antarctica four times and is often compared to contemporary explorers Roald Amundsen, Douglas Mawson and Robert Falcon Scott. Shackleton’s achievements are a result of a combination of natural leadership and finely-tuned management skills, assisted by a strong element of luck. This paper explores Shackleton’s enduring legacy through the contemporary lens of scientific discovery and exploration, modern leadership training methods and management techniques, and observations of his influence upon Antarctic tourism, particularly “adventure” tourism.