Wilderness Leadership

It’s increasingly important for leaders to lead effectively both the organizations, and the people they serve. Effective leaders, acknowledge that their levels of competence influence their subordinates, to create permanent changes in the environment as opportunities, which strengthen the organization’s position, and performance. When followers emulated what they modeled, they have a better understanding of their value to the organization, and see themselves as both assets, and investments; ultimately they become dynamic and are more committed to constant improvement. From a learning perspective, it is essential to understand the why’s, how’s and what’s of our personal leadership. Leadership is only learned by doing through my crucibles, developing

When applying the Wilderness Leadership on the job Kanengieter, J., & Rajagopa, D. (2012) story to myself, as change facilitator the NOLS’ philosophy becomes a lens through which I can view my own professional to maintain the big picture. Much like “The wilderness expedition”, I must all transcend certain limitations before I can be released from whatever binds me to my static status quo. If I don’t overcome these restraints, it would be inevitable to accommodate the changes and my professional journeys of growth will stall. Therefore, in order to encourage my influence, productivity, and well-being, I need to broaden my mind to see beyond than my own interests, and think of my followers and the organization’s interests. This can be achieved through the Transformational leadership traits tolerant and risk-sharing with followers (Bass, 1994). The Wilderness Leadership skills described by Kanengieter, J., & Rajagopa, D. (2012) are meta-skills, soft skills, and interpersonal

Judgement and decision-making abilities, problem-solving skills are all attributes of Meta-skills and are understood to create flexibility in order to be an effective leader. A person’s ability to understand personality styles is of tremendous benefit to leadership, and the first step towards understanding followers and others in the community. As Kanengieter, J., & Rajagopa, D. stated in the wilderness, “Today’s leader is tomorrow’s follower, and yesterday’s follower is today’s leader”. The wilderness is the domain of the experiential learner, and that only by personal experience over a long period of time, can a person begin to acquire the level of judgment to operate safely in a leadership capacity. Applying the concept for what it is, as long as I don’t lose sight of the limitations and cautions. As a leader I can help myself and my project team embrace, adopt and be proficient at a change in order to achieve the desired project outcomes. As in the expedition leadership, at work and in the community environments. Leader’s abilities to manage themselves, their followers, and the demands of an organization or an unexpected crisis, require them to have a high level of focus, tolerance and