On December 28, 2010, I introduced you to the concept and premise of my new book, UNFEAR: Facing Change in an Era of Uncertainty.

UNFEAR : \ ən-fir\ confidence in one’s ability to overcome the odds, and to create a positive outcome no matter what the circumstance

Today I would like to share one of my favorite examples of unfear in the face of seemingly unending adversity. It is the story of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, the journey of his ship, The Endurance, and his example of leadership in the face of truly incredible adversity. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself right now, put yourself in Shackleton’s shoes!

In December of 1914, Shackleton’s crew set out to traverse the Antarctic continent as one of the last frontiers of the golden age of exploration. On January 19, 1915, their ship was frozen in pack ice, never to sail again. Known to his men as “the boss,” Shackleton engaged the men in constant activities, both work and play, as they camped on the ice, waiting for the coming thaw. He encouraged unity on his team by making everyone equal by removing all rank, and giving them a new, shared mission: keeping every man alive. With every catastrophic event, from being stranded on the ice, to losing the ship, and, later, having to sacrifice their beloved sled dogs to sate their hunger, the men of The Endurance were buoyed by Shackleton, who kept a focus on the future and looked for solutions at every turn. When the thaw came and the ice began to break up, the crew set out in three lifeboats, carrying nearly nothing with them, to find dry land. After five days at sea in temperatures of minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit (-30º C), they reached Elephant Island, a desolate place inhabited predominantly by penguins. It was soon clear that there was no chance of rescue. The crew patched together one of the three lifeboats, the James Caird, and Shackleton and five other men set out across the roughest ocean in the world (in hurricane conditions, no less) to find the nearest whaling station at South Georgia Island. Upon reaching their destination, three of the men took on the challenge of traversing a vast expanse of glaciers and crossing the island to reach the whaling station. After thirty-six hours, they reached their goal. Stopped from immediately rescuing his men by sea ice, Shackleton finally reached Elephant Island with a tug four months later then rescued every single member of The Endurance crew.

Shackleton’s ability to accept the real, focus on the positive future, build relationships and community, and view challenges as opportunities enabled his crew to survive. He took the circumstances they were in and never gave in to believing in a terrible future. He kept the faith, and helped his crew to develop constant physical and mental discipline that helped them stay alive no matter what happened.

Just as Shackleton lead his team through difficult circumstances, our business leaders are being challenged to face enormous challenge and unprecedented change. While we may not be trapped in a sea of ice, we may face issues we’ve not even imagined, and when we’re in charge, it’s up to us to keep ourselves and our teams rallied to meet whatever lies before us. How we develop these marvelous abilities to accept the real, focus on the future, build relationships and community, and view challenges as opportunities is the focus of my book and this blog series.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Karlin Sloan is the founder and CEO of Karlin Sloan & Company, Ms. Sloan provides organization development consulting, training and executive coaching to clients the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia.  She is the author of Smarter, Faster, Better; Strategies for Effective, Enduring, and Fulfilled Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2006) and Unfear (January 2011).

It's another week of non-stop travel and I'm feeling it...I'm road-weary already and I'm dreading the redeye I'll be taking from Portland to San Francisco to New York this coming Tuesday. It's time to remember some wisdom and pass it along to you, dear reader, for your own Road Warrior adventures!

 1.) Align Your Mind: It's a Journey

This trip is not a grind, it's a journey. Get into the mindset that every time we travel we can look for new things, explore something different, see things from a new perspective. When you adopt the view that this is a journey and that you intend to learn something from it, it's a self-fulfilling prophesy.

2.) Personalize Your Hotel Room, Airplane Seat, or Rental Car

Take the time to pack a family photo, a framed quotation you love, or a personal object from home that means something to you. When you have it in front of you, it connects you back to who you are, and what is most important to you. Transitional objects have great power to keep us grounded and focused, and to keep us in a positive mind-set.

3.) Look Out for #1 - YOU

Your health and well being can be your #1 priority when you travel. Do you need to pack special food that keeps you energized? Drink extra water on the airplane? Do you need a relaxation mp3 to calm you down? Is there time to get a chair massage at the airport during your next layover? Make a list of the things that replenish your energy and schedule them in BEFORE the trip, so that you're prepared to keep yourself energized and healthy.

4.) Envision a Positive Outcome

Sports psychologists have known for ages the power of visualizing great performance. Take the time to envision a seamless trip, including the success of whatever your work venture may be. What will it look like, sound like, feel like? The more sensory details to your visualization the better. The brain takes that information and shapes your confidence toward the right outcomes.

5.) Remember, Just Because There's Wifi Doesn't Mean You Have to Use It

Now that there's Wifi on the airplane, and cell phone coverage on Mount Everest, it doesn't mean you have to be available every moment of your trip. For all of our technological marvels of communication, we need to be judicious about how we use that connectedness. Take advantage of your travel time, and rest, relax, and THINK. You'll be suprised what a positive impact that makes on your performance once you reach your destination.

Happy Travels!

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Karlin Sloan is the founder and CEO of Karlin Sloan & Company, Ms. Sloan provides organization development consulting, training and executive coaching to clients the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia.  She is the author of Smarter, Faster, Better; Strategies for Effective, Enduring, and Fulfilled Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2006) and Unfear (January 2011).