Phased leadership in the Sahara – a mirage or a fertile oasis?

Here at L7 we focus on helping organisations to develop their leadership talent. We believe  that leadership is relevant at all levels in organisations and the growing body of writing on shared and distributed leadership fits with our experiences  and value systems.

Reflecting upon a recent trip to Morocco my thinking about shared leadership has been evolving based on observations and perceptions of how the leadership role was not just shared but phased in order to best meet needs at different stages of the trip.  To an extent, this phased leadership reflected the planning process and the structures put in place by the organisers. However, it also drew upon less formal aspects of context and personal/team characteristics and needs.

I travelled to Morocco in order to undertake a sponsored Sahara desert trek in aid of CLIC Sargent. Those of us taking part came from the local business community and whilst some had more intrepid backgrounds than others, none of us had walked for three days across a desert before. In this respect we were totally dependent on the organisers and facilitators to ensure our success in achieving our goal and also in ensuring our well being throughout. We needed to be led and were willing (and excited!) followers at every stage of the project.

There were three key phases to our trip: 1. The pre trek period that  involved fund raising, getting fit and liaising with fellow trekkers for support:  2. The journey to and from the Sahara involving the logistics of getting to the right rendezvous points at the right times and observing safety rules and protocols;  3. The trek itself which involved daily planning of our route according to  weather and terrain conditions, knowledge of the local geography and culture,  the local languages, advising on local set up and support.

At each of these phases, the leadership role was undertaken by a different person. Whilst there was an element of dovetailing of leadership input, the roles were phased in terms of predominance according to the requirements of the situation. In the phase one pre trek period, our leader drew upon skills and experience of organising, communication and motivation. During the phase two journey to the desert, a designated trip manager joined us and brought her experience of the trekking process and the organising company rules and regulations. On our phase three arrival in Morocco, our local guide became our leader. Whilst the phase two leader maintained control over timings and overall scheduling, our phase three leader became responsible for the trekking arrangements and all of the logistics that supported our living arrangements during the trek.  Our phase one leader became ‘one of the trekkers’ although there were some periods in which she became a spokesperson when there were questions to be asked or issues to be addressed.  

So at each phase of our journey, a different leader took prominence. This was based on a number of factors including personal experience, knowledge and expertise. None of the leadership roles faded away entirely in any phase and it was mainly in perceived crisis situations when some signs of contested leadership roles emerged. These were minor skirmishes and resolution was driven by the need to retain motivation and team spirit in order to complete the task.

In a recent video clip (http://video.ft.com/v/62699257001/MIT-Sloan-Distributed-leadership) Professor Ancona of the MIT Sloan School of Management highlights many pertinent points in relation to distributed leadership including the value of collaboration and the need for multi- directional communication and alignment. These were evident in the Sahara in terms of the integration of leadership roles and the need for collaboration, regardless of phase, in order to achieve our goals. These are also central pillars of our Level 7 leadership development approach which is based upon both inter and intra organisational collaboration and communication.

Ulrich and Smallwood’s recent work on ‘Personal Leadership Brand’ is also worth looking at in this context (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtjWXzajQXw). They identify the importance of distributed leadership advocating that leaders at all levels should focus upon building on strengths that deliver value. In the desert context, each leader in their own phase of the project did just that, applying specific skill sets to meet the need s of the team during that particular phase. At points in the trek when they were not the dominant leader, they were still able to contribute in situations where their own strengths could contribute to a successful outcome.

I would love to hear your thoughts about distributed leadership and the contribution that the concept of phased leadership could make to enhancing understanding.

My Saharan experience has given me so much food for thought not just in relation to my personal development but also in identifying parallels with issues of organisational development. As these thoughts unravel and evolve, I will be sharing more of them with you over the next few weeks and months.

Dorothy Foote
Director Level Seven (UK) Limited