Building a Team for the Impossible: Lessons from Shackleton and Crafting a Resilient Company Culture

Written by Luis Silva-Ball, CEO of Digifianz

See original post here.

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

How many would answer an ad like that today?

That’s how Ernest Shackleton recruited the crew for his famous Antarctic expedition.

I just finished reading 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚—the story of their journey. It’s a powerful tale of resilience and doing the impossible.

One key reason they succeeded? This brutally honest ad.

Shackleton didn’t sugarcoat reality. Instead, he attracted people who were prepared for the worst.

If he’d promised cocktails in Antarctica and fame back home, he would have drawn the wrong crowd.

And honestly, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

At Digifianz, we’ve embraced a similar approach.

We don’t promise it’ll be easy.

We make it clear that if you’re looking to be handheld, this isn’t the place for you.

We value freedom and autonomy. But that requires people who take full responsibility for themselves and their work.

Our revenue-sharing model ensures the more value you create, the more you earn.

Freedom and accountability go hand in hand.

Establish the right culture, and everything else falls into place.

How would you describe the culture at your company? Do you like the type of people it attracts?