Daily Nation Newspaper

LESSONS SECTOR FROM VOYAGE2021 OUTLOOK ENDURANCE

- By JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA *Johnstone Chikwanda is an energy expert and a Fellow of the Engineerin­g Institute of Zambia, a PhD candidate at Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

SIX years ago, I wrote an article titled “Lessons from are Voyage the Endurance” to have share started lessons the

middle of from what year a celebrated 2021 against British a polar explorer went winter. through Oil on

backdrop of signif- is his record breaking sensitive journey to

icant challenges precipitat- to

the freezing Antarctica in 1915. temperatur­e. ed by the global As such, pandem- win-

Upon deep reflection of what ter ic-Covid businesses has a 19. and big individual­s impact are on the oil. going It Engine is through, undeniable wear I have chances decided that global to are greater share this article again. starting It is one a of car economies when including

the over 700 articles which I have Zam- on bia authored a in cold particular and morning published. have There than suf- are any other fered a lot of untold life time changing depending misery lessons because on in this the grade of story the which of same. the is often engine With cited a oil. in second PhD

case studies. wave This of is attack because underway some oil

On January 18, 1915, a ship grades and carrying economic a become celebrated activities thicker British polar at go- a chilling ing expedition on under temperatur­e guru on a a new journey than normal, code at an operating it named is expected Voyage temperatur­e. Endurance that oil froze prices Some

in icy water off the coast of the oil on the internatio­nal not flow easily market in cold

Antarctica, does South Pole. weather. will The continue ship’s Not leader, every being Sir Ernest oil relative- grade is good ly Shackleton, low for with cold had low season. planned level to fluctua- sail tions his The ship with to most the an coast important overall through upward the phys-

Weddell Sea, and then match a ical trend. property

crew of men, supported of engine by dogs oil is called and However, sledges viscosity. to the should Ross In a Sea lay on man’s ma- the language, jor opposite economies side it is of referred the go Antarctica into to as lock to the

down, break and the set a global new record. oil prices thickness The ice was of too oil. much This for property the

are likely to nose dive once plays ship to a sail. major The ship role got in determin- stuck in

again. ice for more If no than major eight lock down ing what oil can be used months in cer-

gets before underway, drifting 1, 078km country under spe- the tain cific influence situations temperatur­e of heavy ocean which conditions. current impact This on into a the is different because exchange direction oil viscosity contrary rate are is to a temperatur­e the initial plan. likely to be sensitive the main property. driver

Finally, the wooden timber in the

At of high the temperatur­e, fuel oil pump flows

body of the direction ship succumbed to easily prices pressure while will from take. at ice low and temperatur­e, broke. As the ship was beginning to sink in ice cold water, Shackleton ordered his men to collect a few items and

FUEL PRICING

jump onto the ice.

This story is often cited in

PhD leadership studies as a case study when analysing different topographi­es of industry leadership.

I have decided to share this case study with the readership of my column because the enormous lessons provided by Voyage Endurance and its captain can be found doubt, useful 2021 in the will organisati­ons be a chal-

we serve in should we find

lenging year as well because

ourselves stuck by powerful external of a COVID-19 and internal environmen­t challenges.

and At the a core national of the lessons, election lies in wisdom August, on 2021. how to To handle build the upon

expected and the unexpected in

the partial success of 2020

very challengin­g moments.

energy For the purpose security of applicatio­n and energy of this diplomacy story, the challenges from a fuels we face point in of business view, factors or other spheres which of could life could be referred to as “ice.” The

harm energy security have to be watched closely. These factors include the exchange rate, turnaround time to mobilize forex for imports and transporte­r mobility is- sues.

According to the nation- al economic recovery plan which was launched by the Head of State, H.E. Edgar Lungu in December, 2020, it was highlighte­d that the pricing mechanism in the petroleum subsector will be revised in 2021. This is aimed at reducing the costly ineffi- ciencies in the supply chain. Government has re-assured that its policy is to ensure ship could be the organisati­on and the captain as the CEO.

Shackleton had tremendous burning ambition to reach the South Pole just like CEOs have strong ambitions for their organisati­ons. He had attempted to get to the South Pole before but discontinu­ed his journey which was code named Voyage Nimrod though they reached a record distance at that time.

This voyage was beset by several challenges. I wonder why it was named Voyage Nimrod. The first time he travelled to the South Pole was when he accompanie­d Robert Falcon on a journey named Discovery Expedition but was sent back home on health grounds. Therefore, Voyage Endurance was his third attempt; a mark of persistenc­e. He had clarity of vision and determinat­ion. These are good attributes of a good CEO.

After jumping from the sinking ship onto the ice, some of the team members were so bitter, scared and worried that they refused to take any more instructio­ns from Shackleton. Disaster had hit and the faint hearted couldn’t handle anymore.

This can be expected in any organisati­on with a burning platform especially that not everyone is at the same level of faith, courage and strength of character.

Using a set of virtues which include pour point depressant (PPD). compassion, understand­ing and ability to motivate, Shackleton re-energised his faint hearted and distraught team members and got everyone to match across the ice into the unknown territory. They had just lost the ship and valuables. A lot of questions without answers beset them.

What started as a journey of hope and excitement brought untold misery and pain down the road.

It was not known how they would travel back.

Listen, when an organisati­on has a burning platform, it presents a very rare opportunit­y to test the character of the directors and their capacity to reassure, remotivate, inspire hope and keep the team together in uncertain moments.

After much reasoning,

Fuel price adjustment- In

Shackleton realised that he needed security help otherwise and forestall they would further all die it especially has been that directed he had that inexperien­ced policy be team adhered members to with in

him.

nancing mechanism in the

At this juncture, he decided to demonstrat­e extra ordinary leadership and selected a six- person fuel. rescue Government crew to accompany re- him across solved 1, to 287km disengage of deadly from

water using a life boat. He left the

participat­ing in the pro-

other team members behind.

He curement managed to locate of refined help fuel at a whaling in 2017. station Had and this soon policy organised been a rescue implemente­d mission for fully, the is remaining the why outstandin­g we 22 have members. SAE This arrears 30, is SAE

an extraordin­ary true story of how leadership 40, in and the saved range SAE the 50 team of as $700 and engine mil- kept for lion alive high the would overall temperatur­e not purpose have of condi- the ac- voyage. tions. cumulated These are to this called much. mono

This grade However, case engine study has the oils. a lot process At of that time, of

lessons for all of us. If the leader did this not enacting hold classifica­tion on and the motivate was Petroleum his a major team, break Management they through would have by Bill died. the has SAE. tak-

If he en The did long. not joy arise It of is the and expected above inspire and discov- that go beyond Government ordinary abilities, may the nego- leader eries would and have classifica­tion died and so are soon

tiate with truncated current when fuel was his became team members and dogs. it

They suppliers lost the ship, to their supply

discovered that with the the ad- possession, industry time directly and effort and but they indi-

vent of long distance surface survived rectly thanks instead to great of leadership supplying ability, transport, bravery oil patience drains under would

to Government. and Govern- extreme become external the challenges. order of The the day

ment will also negotiate true each measure time of a patience vehicle is enters not into necessaril­y the purchase in how long price you wait of fuel but a in

(CIF) different how you behave temperatur­e during the

with its suppliers zone. fol- waiting For lowing period. instance, the conclusion trucks leaving of Things South may Africa have started for off very

a detailed price review Zambia of

well like Voyage Endurance until

Congo the cost DR elements. would need to drain

you got stuck in the “ice of life.”

Try oil to find somewhere comfort in this before story they and en- rewrite ter Fuel your Zambia price story and due adjustment- that to of potentiall­y your In

organisati­on. different temperatur­es.

guarantee energy When

At times, order companies to face very severe returning security unexpected to and South challenges. forestall Africa, At fur- the times, oil ther the must severity debt be accumulati­on, of changed challenges again. it go Further, beyond has been what in some could directed have countries that been the with

reasonably expected. While it is

frequent 60 days’ adverse price review temperatur­e pol-

hard to change the past, you could change changes, icy the be future adhered the by potential the to quality in to order drain of your oil to several decisions sustain times made a self-financing in now. a month No be- matter came mechanism how real. dark the The cloud in new is, the there research sec-

is always a silver lining. topic tor. that Inability emerged to was ensure how a come self-sustaining up with engine financing oil that does mechanism not change is its a definite thickness regardless harbinger of for temperatur­e. unhealthy Once fuel related again industry subsidies. experts An found extract a from way of the blending Econom- en-

ic Recovery Plan which

gine oils that would behave

On January 18,

1915, a ship carrying a celebrated British polar expedition guru on a journey code named Voyage Endurance froze in icy water off

it flows erraticall­y.

This is not difficult to per-

the coast of the

ceive as you may have seen

Antarctica, South

some brands of cooking oil freezing at low temperatur­e.

Pole.

For this reason, different cli- matic conditions have different

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? The ship’s leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton, had planned to sail his ship to the coast through Because the Weddell energy Sea, is an es- sential and then commodity, match a crew of it is ex- pected men, supported that by Government dogs
and sledges to the Ross Sea and oil marketing compa-
on the opposite side of the nies Antarctica (OMCs) to break will and continue set a to new import record. fuel in the country and continue to construc
The ship’s leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton, had planned to sail his ship to the coast through Because the Weddell energy Sea, is an es- sential and then commodity, match a crew of it is ex- pected men, supported that by Government dogs and sledges to the Ross Sea and oil marketing compa- on the opposite side of the nies Antarctica (OMCs) to break will and continue set a to new import record. fuel in the country and continue to construc

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Zambia