THE RACE TO THE POLES: LESSONS FOR LEADERS

In January 1911 two expeditions landed along the Ross Ice Shelf off Antarctica, each seeking to plant a flag at the South Pole first.

The best-equipped, best-led expedition to ever leave British shores was under the command of Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Roald Amundsen and his Norwegian crew, on the other hand, began the expedition with half the resources of the English team. In fact, Amundsen set sail secretly at midnight, worried that his creditors would withdraw their support.

Amundsen and Scott were both courageous leaders. Yet one led men to success, the other to their deaths. Although pastoral leadership rarely produces such life-and-death drama, it does require a similar courage. But leaders of both expeditions and churches need more than courage. The stories of Scott and Amundsen afford some lessons to pastors seeking to lead their congregations.

Do the Right Kind of Homework

Recognizing the uniqueness of the Antarctic ecology, both Amundsen and Scott studied the region. Amundsen not only studied everything available on Antarctic travel, he also spoke to previous explorers of the region. More important still, he spent time in the polar regions doing his own research, especially during the polar winter just before the expedition.

Scott, however, thought his naval training prepared him for any situation. His crew did spend that polar winter listening to lectures, but they learned polar meteorology and geology, not how to ski. They debated politics, but never learned to drive a dog sled.

On an earlier trip to Antarctica, Amundsen observed that men who ate seal meat resisted scurvy. Medical experts denied any connection. (The discovery of vitamin C, abundant in seal meat, was still decades away.) But Amundsen made seal meat a regular part of the meals. His men gradually recognized his wisdom as they remained healthy.

Scott had heard that seal meat seemed to prevent scurvy, but he ignored the information in favor of the official British naval position that scurvy was caused by tainted tins of food and could be prevented only by discarding suspected tins. Scurvy broke out, and several of his key men abandoned the expedition.

Any given congregation can be as unusual as Antarctica. So asking the right people can help a pastor traverse what may be for him uncharted terrain. Elders can brief him on the spiritual condition of the church, the treasurer can describe the giving patterns of the congregation. The clerk can tell him who attends and who doesn’t (and sometimes why).

But personal study of the terrain can also help. Who are your members? What motivates them? Are they mostly blue-collar workers? They may expect the pastor to give orders because they are used to taking orders. Are they professionals? They will not take orders very well, so a more democratic approach is necessary. Are they mostly retired? Then they have fulfilled their combat duty in the children’s departments and may not be willing to help out there. Each ministry situation is distinctive and will require its own strategy.

In addition, experience in the new environment teaches about its uniqueness. As I came into a new pastoral assignment, I found that an alarming number of the college-age young people had quit attending church. I immediately began to develop a young adult class to attract them back. Yet from young and old alike I encountered resistance. Naturally I wondered if the members were serious about wanting their young people back in church. Perplexed, I gave up on the project.

Later, after I got to know the congregation, I discovered that the church didn’t want programs that segregated the college youth from the rest of the congregation. They were hoping to modify the existing program to include the youth. Had I done my homework, I could have saved myself needless frustration-and preserved a measure of credibility in my new assignment, as well.

Broaden the Decision-Making Process

When the Norwegian team came to the Trans-Antarctic mountains, two glaciers came into view, one closer than the other, both blocking their way. The dogs instinctively pulled toward the far one, but when it came to a vote, the men elected to climb the near one. It turned out to be a steep, rugged haul up two sets of ice falls.

Upon reaching the top, they saw that the far glacier had a much gentler slope. But Amundsen’s crew did not resent him for the dangerous trip. Each man had been party to the decision, and each man learned from the mistake. They easily skied the gentle-sloped glacier on the return trip.

Scott, on the other hand, regarded advice from others as dissent and near mutiny. When he put the ship’s boats on the sea ice, one crewman, Louis Bernacchi, became concerned because he remembered another expedition when the boats were frozen in for the winter. He warned Scott. Bernacchi was informed, in no uncertain terms, to stick to his specialty and leave the decisions to Scott. The boats subsequently froze hard into the sea ice and were useless for many months. This scene was repeated when other crewmen attempted to advise Scott on diet, the use of dogs, and the advantages of skiing.

Our pastoral staff annually surveys the church members for their suggestions on how we might meet the needs of the church and community. A committee of lay leaders then condenses these comments into a workable set of plans and objectives.

The members’ suggestions have led to more training in evangelism, a permanent youth pastor, a revised worship service, and home Bible study groups. In addition, a new church school is planned and we will soon have a local TV broadcast because of the vision of our people. Since the members themselves have envisioned and planned for these ministries, everyone has a stake in them.

When some of our home study groups failed, no one blamed anyone else. We all owned the failure and learned how to prevent it in the future. When our new worship service soared, we all rejoiced in its success.

Set Specific, Attainable, Measurable Goals

Scott’s men never knew how far they would trudge each day, or when they could look forward to a day off. Naturally, they expected some relief from their maniacal pace on Christmas, but Scott celebrated the day by pushing them further.

Amundsen relied on the “SAM” principle: specific, attainable, measurable goals. His overall goal: get there first and get back alive. He maintained a simple, specific schedule during the trip: travel 15 miles for four days, then rest one day. The Norwegians knew exactly what was expected of them each day. It was attainable. They easily could have skied up to 20 miles a day. It was measurable. Fifteen nautical miles is 15 minutes of latitude. Every four days they could see that they had traveled one degree on the map.

An added benefit: the men at the base camp knew when to expect them home. If Amundsen was overdue, the base camp knew to begin rescue operations.

Scott gave vague directions regarding rescue operations. He instructed Cecil Meares, his only dog expert, to bring the dogs out and pick him up on the way home. But he also said not to risk the dogs unnecessarily. Meares brooded about exactly what constituted a necessary risk. Scott told another member of the team to “come as far as you can” to meet the returning expedition. The lack of specific coordinates meant the rescue team was incapable of reaching Scott should trouble arise.

We use SAM in our church. Two years ago we set a goal of developing 100 lay pastors during the next three years (specific). This will give us one lay pastor for every 10 members (attainable). Recently we met with the leaders of our outreach ministries and identified 75 people working as lay leaders in our church (not only measurable, but ahead of schedule). Because this goal is specific, attainable, and measurable, we can identify problems early and make the necessary midcourse corrections.

Respect and Honor Your Co-workers

When the British base team suspected that the polar party was in danger, Apsley Cherry-Garrard took a dog sled out along the marked trail to a spot called One Ton Depot. Cherry-Garrard was within easy reach of Scott’s party, but he could not navigate past the depot. Months before, when he had tried to learn navigation, Scott had laughed at him. Why would Cherry-Garrard ever need to navigate? So he had given up.

When Amundsen neared the Pole, he stepped back and allowed Olav Bjaaland to reach the goal first. Bjaaland was an expert cross-country skier, and this gesture showed Amundsen’s debt to all the Norwegian pioneers of cross-country skiing. This, and similar gestures, endeared him to his crew. Amundsen made sure that each one knew his value to the expedition.

Last year we organized an appreciation banquet for our workers. We pastors helped cook and serve the meal to everyone, from our elders to our telephone committee. We gave out special awards, praised the work of our helpers, and shared meaningful incidents from the past year. The self-esteem of these people grew and seemingly menial tasks took on new importance.

People become trustworthy when they are trusted. I took a group of ninth and tenth graders on a church building project. One young man had a reputation as a trouble maker, although nobody at the job site knew that. A building contractor took him under his wing and made him his special assistant. Our former trouble maker became the hardest worker of the bunch. When we returned home, he was still seen as a problem to those who knew him. In no time he returned to his old problem self. Yet, for the few days he was affirmed, he became trustworthy.

Give Glory to God

Amundsen’s diary tells the story. “So we arrived and were able to plant our flag at the geographical South Pole. God be thanked!” Amundsen knew that even with all his detailed planning and careful leadership, he was indebted to a higher power.

Both Amundsen and Scott were often tent-bound in blizzard conditions. An incensed Scott cursed God for the blizzards. For Amundsen, they were rest periods. He knew that fresh snow meant good skiing the next day, so he thanked God even for blizzards.

Such trust in God builds a congregation’s trust in a pastor.

A retired pastor ends each prayer with “and we will be careful to give all the glory to Thee.” That communicates volumes to a congregation. We are not responsible for our success; God is. Our leadership is only as good as we let God make it.

The Difference Such Leadership Makes

What difference do these principles make?

On this arduous journey Scott brought a staff of meteorologists, geologists, physicians, and a photographer. He brought only one navigator, one skiing instructor, and one dog-sledding instructor.

Amundsen’s team boasted no scientists, but his men were all experienced navigators, skiers, and dog sledders.

Scott brought skis, thirty-three dogs, sleds, ponies, and snowmobile-type tractors called motor sleds. His main mode of transportation however, was man-hauling. Each man had a harness that fit around the waist and attached to the sleds. Scott’s men were his sled dogs for most of the 1,500 mile trip.

Amundsen brought one hundred dogs and extra skis.

Both crews spent the long days of the Antarctic summer preparing for the major assault on the pole ten months later. Each put up prefabricated base camps. Advance crews marched south toward the Pole establishing depots of food and supplies for the actual journey. Here Scott discovered that ponies do not adapt well to Antarctic cold. The British military, however, always conquered new territories on horseback. He would start his journey later in the season when the weather was warmer-and use horses.

Amundsen’s dogs were right at home in the cold.

Both had white, floorless tents. Amundsen found that too much wind and snow blew in under the tent walls. The Norwegians dug out massive snow caves at the base camp and set them up as workshops. Here they sewed floors in the tents and painted them with black shoe polish so they could be seen in a blizzard and absorb heat from the sun.

Scott saw no reason to modify the tents.

Amundsen’s sleds weighed 100 pounds, so he redesigned them in his snow-cave workshop, reducing the weight to 77 pounds. He also built three new ones weighing only 53 pounds.

Scott’s men pulled 150-pound sleds.

The Norwegians modified their reindeer fur boots and clothes for better comfort and insulation since Antarctic temperatures can drop to -40 degrees Centigrade even in the summer.

Scott contented himself with knitted scarfs and sweaters.

Amundsen and four other Norwegians started out for the Pole on October 20, 1911 with fifty-two dogs and four sleds.

Scott couldn’t leave for another ten days because of the ponies. When Scott finally started out with sixteen men, ten ponies, a few dogs, and two motor sleds, Amundsen was already 200 miles ahead.

Within a week, Scott’s motor sleds broke down and were abandoned. He hadn’t brought spare parts. Horses perspire throughout their whole bodies, so Scott’s ponies were often covered with sheets of ice. Scott’s men grudgingly built snow walls after each day’s march to protect the ponies from bitter gale-force winds. They knew something that Scott wouldn’t admit: sled dogs perspire only through their tongues and dig their own snow caves to escape the wind. While Scott’s ponies froze to death, Amundsen’s dogs enjoyed perfect sledding weather.

The Norwegians arrived at the geographical South Pole on December 15, 1911, healthy and in good spirits.

Still 150 miles from the pole on January 4, 1912, Scott sent back his extra men. Five men continued on, even though he planned provisions for only four. When Scott planned his food for this leg of the trip, he forgot to include food for his most important man, the navigator.

Amundsen was now racing home with ten days’ food for men and dogs, plus emergency rations. He was only five days from his next depot. Amundsen brought 1,300 pounds of supplies per man and left behind a half ton on the polar plateau.

Scott found the Norwegian flag on January 18. The British lost the race to the Pole, and more. They were dehydrated because Scott forgot to bring enough fuel to melt snow for drinking water. They were starving because of the fifth man. Their 700-mile return trip was a race for life.

On that day, Amundsen was one week away from his base camp, sprinting along at twenty miles per day.

British Petty Officer Edgar Evans, dehydrated and starved, died of scurvy on February 17. Amundsen was back aboard his ship, on the way to civilization. He gained weight on the trip.

On March 17, Lieutenant Lawrence Oates could no longer walk because of gangrene in his frostbitten legs. He crawled out of the tent to die.

Amundsen reached Hobart, Tasmania, ten days earlier.

Scott, Lieutenant Henry Bowers, and Dr. Edward Wilson perished on March 30, 1912, eleven miles short of One Ton Camp, where Cherry-Garrard waited for them. They carried thirty pounds of rocks from the polar plateau. The same amount of seal meat would have saved them.

Amundsen was on his Australian lecture tour.

Charles Burkeen is assistant pastor of Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grants Pass, Oregon.