Fundamentals of Level Three Leadership

89. Distributed Leadership

Concept

Bicyclists, automobile racers, military teams in the bush, cross-country skiers, and even geese use the concept of rotating leadership. The basic principle is that leading demands more energy than following, so to give the leader a rest, we can rotate that assignment. Of course, in these cases the additional energy burden is largely physical, but it is also psychological. My experience as the CEO of a non-profit organization of 3,000 people and eight different units was enlightening; there is a heavy mantle that descends with those who sit in the last chair. Leadership demands large amounts of physical, psychological, intellectual, and emotional energy. Bureaucratic maintenance requires much less, just do what ...