I’ve heard that some people think outdoor leadership is all about fun and games. Still, I think it takes more than just being high-spirited and a nature enthusiast to successfully lead a team of diverse individuals through challenging situations in the wild. I’ve spent 12 years in the military, and I never imagined that all the outdoor experiences and experiential learnings I acquired would still be useful to me today.
The roles of an outdoor leader include promoting a responsible culture where everyone respects nature and contributes to preserving it. You must secure your team by ensuring that basic needs are met, risks are mitigated, and hazards are tackled. It’s also up to you to push your team to new heights.
Let’s explore these basic roles entrusted to outdoor leaders and find out what it takes to excel in this duty. We will delve deeper into how you can ensure your team’s safety and security and how you can push your team to achieve their higher potential and emerge from the experience as more responsible, efficient, and engaged individuals.
The Important Roles of Outdoor Leaders
There’s certainly more to being an amazing outdoor leader than meets the eye. There really are no set rules and guidelines to abide by. The secret lies in knowing how to effectively adapt to each situation you’re faced with and responding in the most efficient and suitable ways possible.
Do you think you have what it takes to be an amazing outdoor leader? When you’re ready to explore opportunities in outdoor leadership, book us a free call right away. At Sancus Leadership, we can help sharpen your skills and expand your horizon so you can achieve your highest potential as a leader.
Here are some of the crucial roles of an outdoor leader:
1. Promote Responsible Outdoor Conduct
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.”
This popular quote derived from one of the many wise sayings shared by Chief Seattle, a prominent leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes in the 1800s, perfectly sums up how we should all behave when we’re out in nature.
As a leader, especially if you come across beginners in outdoor culture, it is your role to ensure that you successfully inculcate the importance of respecting nature. Aspects such as camp cleanliness, preserving the natural beauty of the environment, and respecting all forms of life should be non-negotiables for your team.
Encourage a higher sense of environmental awareness by harping on the value of connecting responsibly with nature. After all, outdoor recreation has been linked to plenty of benefits that can help make the experience more enjoyable and fulfilling for everyone.
Here are some of those benefits:
- Enhanced physical well-being. Activities like hiking, climbing, biking, swimming, and cycling have been linked to better heart health, improved muscle strength, better immunity, and enhanced stamina. They are also beneficial for people with or at risk for diabetes, obesity, heart failure, and other critical illnesses.
- Improved mental health. Outdoor activities can significantly reduce anxiety and stress. Spending time immersed in nature results in a significant drop in cortisol (the stress hormone).
- Enhanced Interpersonal skills. Spending time outdoors provides great opportunities to build lasting relationships with people you have a lot in common with. It also provides excellent opportunities for spending quality time with family, friends, colleagues, and other important people in your life.
- Raised environmental awareness. Spending time in the wild provides you plenty of opportunities to have first-hand experiences with different environmental issues. You also get to better appreciate the wonders and simple beauty of nature.
2. Ensure the Team’s Safety
When leading a team through the wild, you must always keep in mind that nature is essentially fickle and unpredictable. Your circumstances could change in the blink of an eye and, as a leader, you must ensure that your team’s basic needs are always recognized and prioritized.
These are the basic elements you should always take into account:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Warmth
- Shelter
- Basic hygiene
When your team feels that you, as their leader, are making sure that these fundamental needs are met, they’ll feel more secure and more eager to do their part in fostering efficient group dynamics. A happy team will undoubtedly make your leadership responsibilities and tasks much easier to accomplish.
On that note, keep in mind that your needs are important, too. You can do a better job at effectively managing your team if you are feeling just as secure, motivated, and happy as them. Self-care is crucial to ensuring that you’re equipped to fulfill your responsibilities as an outdoor leader.
Additionally, meeting your own needs can also serve as a gauge for your teams’ concerns. For instance, if you notice that your bare fingers are starting to feel clammy and stiff from the cold, chances are your team members are feeling the same way, if not worse.
3. Mitigate Dangers and Risks
When you’re leading a team in the wild, you’re bound to come across situations that may put everyone’s safety at risk. As a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that your team stays safe at all times.
Develop a deeper understanding of nature and enhance your risk management abilities. More importantly, focus on ways to not expose your team to high-risk situations.
Here are some tips:
Preparation Phase
- Be meticulous. Familiarize yourself with the terrain, get updates on expected weather conditions, and acquaint yourself with the whole area and its surroundings.
- Work on being in top shape. Enjoin your team to get into good physical condition before any outdoor activity, and work on their stamina and muscle strength. If you’re expecting to reach high altitudes, research on proper acclimatization. Medical conditions should always be discussed with the group so everyone knows how to respond in case of a medical emergency.
- Learn first aid. Urge your team to learn the basics of first aid. As the leader, learn how to respond to early signs of hypothermia, heat stroke, dehydration, and other critical conditions frequently encountered in the wild.
- Pack light. Urge your team to pack light and bring only the basics. Heavy bags loaded with too many clothes and gear can be extremely cumbersome and may pose risks to the individual’s safety. Don’t forget your first aid kit and emergency supplies.
- Identify hazards and risks. It would be great if you could make an ocular inspection of the general area of your outdoor activity. Hazards may include deep ravines or slippery slopes, while risks may involve a team member possibly tripping on exposed tree root systems or slipping on wet grass if it rains.
- Pack a repair kit. Learn how to do basic repair work relevant to your activity, such as changing a bike tire, mending torn jackets, or repairing broken walking sticks.
On-Site
- Enforce a buddy system. Instruct your team to always travel in groups or pairs, whether they’re simply going to check out a nearby interesting-looking tree or moving on to the next campsite. Nobody wants to be alone in an emergency situation.
- Wear appropriate clothing. Dress for the weather, and not simply to impress. Reiterate the importance of proper footwear.
- Check all equipment and gear. Make sure all your equipment and gear are in proper working condition before you set out. Do periodic checkups to ensure that everything stays in shape.
- Be weather-savvy. Don’t rely heavily on weather forecasts. Watch out for signs of approaching storms, incoming snow, and other changing weather conditions. If you sense any threat, find shelter at once for your team.
- Set a reasonable pace. It is good practice to let the slowest or weakest person in the team set the pace.
- Come up with an emergency strategy. Brainstorm with your team on what to do in case of emergency situations, such as someone getting lost or getting injured. Whistles are reliable and inexpensive emergency tools that the whole team can rely on outdoors.
4. Push Team Members to Excel
As a leader, you’re expected to not only steer your team toward shared goals — it’s also your responsibility to help bring out the best in each of them. Whether they’re personal or team goals, you must take on an active role in ensuring these are achieved.
The first step is to recognize each of your team members’ fears and weaknesses so you can determine which areas you need to work on. Each person has their own incapacities and frailties, and it’s important to not let these stand in the way of having a wonderful outdoor experience.
Next, identify your team members’ strengths so you know exactly which skills can be utilized to the team’s advantage. Whether it’s something as seemingly trivial as being an excellent storyteller to boost the team’s morale or something as pivotal as being adept in tying knots, each strength should be well-utilized. Technical and interpersonal skills are equally important, and you mustn’t negate or dismiss any of your team members’ unique strengths.
Provide your team members opportunities to step outside their comfort zone. Challenge their limitations and develop their abilities so they can reach their full potential.
