This ad ran in a London newspaper in 1913. Can you imagine answering it? Probably not. But over 1000 men did. They were hoping to be chosen for an Antarctic exploration led by Ernest Shackleton, who had gained fame for his 1909 expedition to the South Pole, falling just ninety-seven nautical miles short of the Pole.

Their story has been told in many books, which have been well publicized (one of my favorites is listed below). You've probably read at least one.

While much has been written about what kind of a man and leader Shackleton was, I have been intrigued by Shackleton's hiring process (naturally!)

So, seeing as this is the time of year that everybody's Irish, here are some shining hiring lessons from my favorite Irishman.

· Lesson #1 - Use a "Screening" Ad

That's right. While most people want to get as big a response as possible to their ad, you can see that Mr. Shackleton wanted only the "serious" applicants here. That's probably not a bad strategy for your ads as well, especially in today's economy where response is higher than usual.

Put some qualifiers in your ad ("safe return doubtful" might be stretching it a bit but you get the idea!). If you absolutely must have someone who has launched a complex technology solution, put those qualifiers down. If the job requires 75% travel, put it down. In other words, like Shackleton's ad, "only serious buyers" should be the tone of the ad.

· Lesson #2 - Hire Diversity

The other day was I talking to Dennis Perkins, a Shackleton expert and author of "Leading at the Edge," a book about Shackleton's leadership qualities. Dennis has recently returned from a wonderful adventure tracing Shackleton's steps. He told me that Shackleton actually hired a very diverse group. In the social classes there was everyone from university professors to fishermen. (This also is the secret to a good party-but we're not here to talk about that!) There was a great range in the ages of the crew as well, with the oldest being 57.

Yet all were hired for their particular skill set and talent. Shackleton tried to have no redundancies. Each job that needed to be done was covered. Each crewmember had his unique contribution to be made -- even the stowaway became a fully integrated member of the team in very short order.

How about your team? Does everyone have his or her specific area of expertise? Are there too many redundancies? Now might be the time for you to recraft your team using the Shackleton philosophy.

· Lesson #3 - Hire a Strong #2

Shacketon hired Frank Wild as his #2. Wild had explored with Shackleton before. He had a low-keyed temperament, which was a great balance to Shackleton's bold temperament. Perkins writes, "They were so close they would finish each other's sentences."

Do you have a #2? Do you need one? Great leaders aren't intimidated by a strong #2 - as a matter of fact it's just the opposite. They know what a critical role the #2 spot is. How does your #2 stack up? While you might not want him to finish your sentences, does he know the direction you want your team to be headed? Does his management style complement yours? If not, take another lesson from Shackleton and look for a solid #2 for your crew.

Now you and your team will never be stuck on an ice flow for 634 days. We know that. But isn't it nice to know that if you are, you'd have the right people??