LEADERSHIP IN THE OUTDOORS

Leadership in the outdoors involves students, teachers and mentors.

It is usually for the purpose of achieving a task, such as completing a bushwalk or for
more process-based outcomes, including teamwork, personal development, or
relationship building. Effective leadership relies upon individual’s working productively
achieve a goal or outcome.
Outdoor education experiences can provide many opportunities for:
- Micro-leadership: Arranging a meeting to discuss the route plan, organising a rubbish
check before leaving camp, assisting a novice camper with there cooking.
- Group Leadership: Leading a group of peers or novices on an overnight bushwalk
- Expedition Management: Managing the logistics of the expedition
- Educational Leadership: Where a trained leader supports another leader to undertake
group Leadership: For the purpose of leaning how to do this effectively, or for the
purpose of gaining feedback.
- Transformational Leadership: Where the leader is able to assist the group.

Leadership Styles
There are three key Leadership styles that reflect the model of behaviour used by the
leader when influencing group members. Leaders need to be flexible with their style to
meet the needs of the individual, groups or task.

Autocratic: Controlling the group or situation. Based on a leaders level of authority and the
level of contribution from the group members. Involves telling or selling, which is characterised
by an authoritarian approach where the leader has complete power. This is usually the type of
leadership when decisions are made without any form of consultation.
Democratic: Testing or consulting, this involves shared decision making with the leader and
members working together to produce a performing group.
Laissez-faire: Joining or delegating, the term refers to leaving to do or complete freedom. The
leader plays a minimal role in the decision-making and agrees to abide by the group decision.
This style of leadership allows one to learn from there own mistakes.
Groups or individuals are often more motivated when presented with the opportunity to
make their own decisions.

Leadership Qualities
Model the way: clarify your personal
values and beliefs and set an example
Inspire others: motivate others,
develop a common vision for all, enjoy
the process rather than the result, and
meet new people
Challenge others: search for
opportunities to change, improve and
grow, experiment and take risks so you
learn from your mistakes, make
experience your teacher, keep on
learning
Enable others to act: collaborate, build
trust, mentor, guide and develop
others by sharing skills and knowledge
Follow your heart: recognise
contribution by appreciating others and
develop a community sprit
Outdoor Leadership Considerations
When leading a group or situation considerations may
include:
- Self awareness in understanding own strengths and
weaknesses
- Communication skills – ability to interact positively with
others
- Confidence in making decisions and taking charge of a
situation
- Judgment in making decisions after considering all the
factors
- Loyalty in supporting a broad range of people
- Integrity being honest, ethical, trustworthy and acting
appropriately
- Intuition – instinct and insight about a situation, feeling
without apparent reason
- Self motivation – own drive to learn and ability to motivate
others and achieve high standards
- Empathy and compassion in understanding how others are
feeling
- Humility by putting others first, listening to others, building
relationships and recognising weaknesses
- Creatively in solving problems and helping others
- Positive attitude towards people and problems
- Responsible, dependable and accountable
- Good communication
- Keep a little distance between you and the group, as it is
harder to assert leadership in you are one of the group
- View leadership as a service role. Consider the group
needs ahead of your own

Leadership Resources
Team Building Activities
http://www.projectnatureed.com.au/gamesactivitiesinitiatives.html
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/team-building-games-and-initiatives.page-
1.html
Icebreakers
https://www.icebreakers.ws/get-to-know-you
https://www.icebreakers.ws/small-group/trust-walk-teambuilding-activity.html
Handling 'conflict' or 'fear'
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/leadership-in-the-outdoors
For more information about Outdoor Leadership
Christine Froude and Scott Polley, ‘Outdoor Education, Foundations for Tertiary and Senior Secondary
Education,’ 2nd Edition, 2011