In July 1915, Orde-Lees spent a few weeks in Shackleton's cabin recovering from a painful bout of sciatica. He used the opportunity of spending a lot of one-on-one time with The Boss to assess and comment on Shackleton's leadership qualities...
Orde-Lees Journal, July 26, 1915
Perhaps the most remarkable thing that may at once be said of him is that, unlike most people, there is no underside to his character. One could not be on more intimate terms with him than I have been and yet, to my surprise, I find that he is precisely the same in intimacy as he is in public, in fact his outstanding frankness is, to my mind, his most characteristic attribute.
I have no hesitation is saying that whatever he says to his subordinates in approbation, in chiding or in giving advice or information is exactly what he really means, and at the same time he is always tactful without being in any way noticeably circumspect. He bears no resentment in private nor is he ever guilty of the slightest favoritism.
These qualities alone endear him to one and all and inspire that respect & confidence which make him pre-eminently the leader he is.