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Lessons from the South Pole, Part 1: Roald Amundsen vs. Robert Scott
Most people want to be on the winning team and follow a leader that’s winning. Many think those leaders just have good luck, but are they truly luckier than other leaders? Roald Amundsen, who led his team to be the first explorers to reach the South Pole, believed that great leaders create their own luck.
“Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” — Roald Amundsen, The South Pole
Ultimately, people want to follow leaders who create their own luck. Roald Amunden demonstrated four ways that great leaders create their own luck:
- Own the outcome.
- Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
- Follow the discipline of the 20 Mile March.
- Focus on one goal at a time.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- Video: Kent Julian explaining how E + R = O
- Book by Jim Collins: Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
- Lessons from the South Pole, Part 2: How to Be an Enduring Leader
- Great Articles about the Race to the South Pole:
- Why the British Were Doomed to Lose the Race to the South Pole – 100th Anniversary of Reaching the South Pole
- What the Race to the South Pale Can Teach You about How to Achieve Your Goals
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For the transcript of this episode: : EL 31: How to Be That “Lucky Leader” People Want to Follow: Amundsen’s Race to the Pole | with Marty Lahey