Leading from behind?

This phrase has bugged me for some time. Not the metaphorical reference as much as just the thought that you can only lead by being the one blazing ahead of others, be it on the right course or not. As we leave the past year's political events and almost equally amazing corporate shakeups, mergers etc. behind, we are off into discussions centered on criticizing various leadership approaches. More often than not, the phrase surfaces to suggest that the group or company is lagging, following, being played or pushed around by others. I get it. Being behind and always playing catch up is not what any of us would choose and would of course prefer to be in the driver's seat. But I still don't like the phrase.

So then I am walking through Manhattan on a very cold day, fitting for you know, maybe a sled team. NYC never ceases to amaze me as sure enough I see the picture above. A bundled up "musher" just shy a couple huskies needed to finish the Iditarod. The irony for me was not seeing the clearly happy huskies linked together. Sure they looked as if they were quite literally going to be hooked up to a sled. But what I found ironic is that they were following the musher rather than being in front, pulling. He was leading from the front.

So there I stood thinking. Is it the musher that leads from behind the pack of dogs or do the first dogs lead? Is leading from behind really following or rather is it just gaining a different perspective on the situation? Again, I have trouble with the phrase as I have always seen leadership as being multi-dimensional.

My internal confusion went into overdrive with a quick Google search. For you non-weekend mushers, the first dogs on a sled team are simply, the lead dogs. There are then swing dogs, team dogs, and finally wheel dogs. The latter are the biggest and strongest dogs and are located right in front of the sled, behind all the other dogs. They do the heavy work of actually moving the sled in a different direction. Insert the voice in my head asking again "who is leading and from where?".

I have not been fortunate enough to catch up with my Manhattan musher to ask any of these questions. Probably for the best. I can just see the dogs being contestants in the Westminster Dog Competition who in true NYC style, would impart their disfavor in me even thinking they would ever pull a sled.

However, the experience did confirm in my opinion that there are a lot of leaders on a team. Ones you need out front taking on the unknown. Others willing to take on the heavy loads. And yes, perhaps someone leading from behind it all setting the course.