Exploring uncharted waters
“If you are a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you’ve got to keep going” – Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton was an Antarctic explorer, a mariner whose ship sank miles from its destination in some of the world’s most hostile seas. In 1914, European fascination with polar exploration was reaching a crescendo. Shackleton and a crew of 27 men set out in to be the first to traverse Antarctica – heading south from South Georgia Island off the South American coast, and within a month, their ship ‘Endurance’ was frozen solid in ice. Shackleton realised they had no choice but to wait out the winter in the ship’s cramped quarters until the summer’s thaw. Ten months later, in Oct 1915, he and the crew had to abandon the ship due to the damage to ship timbers by the pressure of ice floes.
For Shackleton, the survival of his men became his new goal, and he mounted several failed rescue attempts, the last of which got his crew to uninhabited Elephant Island. In April 1916, he and five others travelled in a lifeboat back to South Georgia Island. With little to fight the violent seas, they were able to cross the uncharted waters and secure help at a whaling station. After several attempts and four months, they returned to rescue the remaining 22 men, all of whom were still miraculously alive.
Shackleton’s supreme resilience and deep commitment to his men is unmatched. Even when the ship was stuck, he had the men doing their duties - taking scientific measurements, swabbing the decks, hunting to keep up food stores – and socializing. He was truly the leader who served his men. He failed at the improbable; but succeeded at the unimaginable [1].
Antarctica is iconic as a wild, beautiful and unique environment that captured the imagination of many explorers in the past. These explorers were charting unknown waters, going where no one had gone before. By taking this journey together, we, the participants of Homeward Bound, envision the experience will create strong bonds, inspire action and lead to extraordinary collaborations as we join the growing network of women from the program.
Regions of Antarctica are currently showing amongst the most visible responses to climate change seen anywhere on the planet. The study of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and their roles in the climate system, provides critical insights into global-scale change, and the influence of human activities on environmental change. For Homeward Bound, highlighting Antarctica as a symbol of climate change effects is a prominent example that can be used to raise awareness within our communities. This is where our environmental leadership journey starts!
From a personal perspective, the expedition to Antarctica is a dream come true. I grew up in a number of towns across India, from Kharagpur to Lucknow to Delhi, and thereafter, studied in Chennai. My early years made me flexible, adaptable and an adventurous person. Later, I worked in London, Mumbai and Singapore, and studied in France. Antarctica is the ultimate symbol of global collaboration – the place which requires no visa and has been established as a zone of peace and science (as per The Antarctic Treaty meeting Kyoto 1994). As we participate in virtual workshops, team events and fundraising opportunities in the year ahead, Antarctica will be the perfect milestone at the start of a lifelong journey of leadership, co-operation and change!
