During the time when his vessel, the "Endurance," was stuck in the ice, Shackleton applied management principles from which perhaps startups can learn. He made

During the time when his vessel, the "Endurance," was stuck in the ice, Shackleton applied management principles from which perhaps startups can learn. He made sure to pay attention to what and how everybody was doing at all times. One thing he did then was to assigning people meaningful tasks to keep them from becoming despondent and dragging down morale. What he did there has actually been studied by military researchers who were interested in ways to get people and organizations through periods that seem utterly hopeless. Startups come to mind...