Leadership Results

Chapter 10 Collective leadership

What is collective leadership? This is invariably the first question people ask when I talk about the subject, and in response I tell them this short story.

The orphanage

Jasmine was an obese girl who lived in an orphanage and was very much disliked by all the other children. They were always playing pranks on her and insulting her. This made her feel very distressed, lonely and miserable. And to add to her misery, she was also bullied and victimised by an influential staff member — the deputy principal — who was very close to the principal.

One day, all of the orphanage children and the deputy principal met to plan a strategy to get rid of the ‘fat cow', as they called her, forever. The group put forth a few ideas, until the deputy said, ‘I've got it! I have been watching the fat cow and every day just before midnight she gets up and goes out into the bushes. I propose that one night we wait for her to get up in the middle of the night and follow her to see what she does. We will then ambush her and will have an excuse to get rid of her.'

The group agreed and asked the principal and members of the management committee to join them to witness a transgression they hoped would get Jasmine expelled. The following night, they waited until Jasmine got up and went into the bushes as expected. She walked a short distance from the orphanage to a large tree. The group hid silently behind bushes, ready to switch on their torches as soon as the girl ...