“With great power comes great responsibility” (The Peter Parker Principle from Spider-Man, Marvel Comics)

Responsibility is a huge word. It is inextricably part of life both in our private and professional roles, especially leadership roles.

Many of our programs comprise solving problems in a team situation. We typically separate larger groups into smaller teams, and each team works with a horse. Now, horses, like us, just want to feel safe. Part of feeling safe is being in a group whose members take responsibility for themselves and the group as a whole.

When it comes to taking responsibility for a task, it’s interesting to see team dynamics at play.

🤷Sometimes, no one wants to take responsibility

🤼 Sometimes, everyone wants to take responsibility

🙋 Sometimes, one person takes responsibility and dominates the group, ignoring the input of others.

None of these scenarios are constructive. Having a horse as part of the team highlights what is happening. If no one is taking responsibility, the horse will step into that role by maybe pawing the ground to get things moving. If everyone is taking responsibility, or one person is being inappropriately dominant, the horse may stop in his tracks until everyone is on the same page forming a coherent group. And you can’t budge a 600kg teammate!

It is interesting to examine why a person may not want to take responsibility. It could be a fear of failure, a sense of overwhelm or simply laziness. As a leader, it is important to address these issues. A lack of responsibility can lead to failure to complete a job, letting down the team and ultimately oneself.

This is why sharing responsibility is key for a well-functioning team. Of course, everyone has their own role, and some people will naturally be the leaders. However, being a leader does not mean excluding the ideas and input of others and insisting on doing things your way. As always, communication is king.

How do you view responsibility? What does responsibility mean to you? What are you responsible for in your role?

(or is it shared responsibility & accountability?) 

In our society, the term “herd mentality” generally has a negative connotation. It is defined as, “the tendency of the people in a group to think and behave in ways that conform with others in the group rather than as individuals.” (*Source: Merriam-Webster.com)

I get it. In our society, we are taught that it is good to stand out from the crowd. 

BUT, what if we flip our thinking just a bit and see the strength in being part of a group? We could actually learn a lot from herd animals. I have just spent three days observing – and at times interacting with – herds of wild horses in California at the magnificent Return to Freedom, Wild Horse Sanctuaries. 

It was fascinating to learn from the experts and observe shared leadership in action. There are several leaders in a herd of horses. Each has a distinctive role  – whether it is setting direction and pace, aligning the group or looking out for changes in the environment and potential threats, they all have one thing in common…

Leaders instinctively prioritise the health, harmony and unity of their community.

Just take that in for a minute. They share the responsibility of leadership with the sole purpose of the wellbeing of the entire herd.

We humans are also social beings. We exist in the equivalent of “herds” – our families, neighbourhoods, teams, organisations.  We need to function as a collective to survive and thrive – just like wild horses. I think if we humans could leave our egos behind and truly share responsibility and accountability for the  good of our communities…

just imagine the possibilities.