What is Musher Management™?
Musher Management is a leadership philosophy and set of managerial practices which are based upon the operating metaphor of a fully-teamed dogsled. Based in part on the principles espoused by Robert K. Greenleaf’s servant-leadership, Musher Management places the posture and influence of the leader (Chief Executive, Executive-in-Charge) in the rear of the group, where the leader becomes focused more on the construction and caretaking of the team, and on the establishment of processes and protocols to ensure that individuals of the team well understand their unique role, the inter-relatedness of the individual’s role to the roles of others, and how to conduct themselves within the team.
As a practice, Musher Management fully exploits the physical realities of the dogsled team construction, the art and practice of driving a dogsled, the care and keep of the dogs, the qualities of a high-performing Musher, planning and executing a race, problem solving, and the like as devices which inform and bring to life the metaphor of the dogsled as a business enterprise.
Commit to the Strength of the Individuals on the Team
As a practice, Musher Management fully exploits the physical realities of the dogsled team construction, the art and practice of driving a dogsled, the care and keep of the dogs, the qualities of a high-performing Musher, planning and executing a race, problem solving, and the like as devices which inform and bring to life the metaphor of the dogsled as a business enterprise.
In the philosophy of Musher Management, the Leader, or Musher, subjugates his or her own personal interests, (and attendant frailties like the politics of position and power, ego satisfaction, and fears about incompetence) to the needs of the individuals on the team. By doing so, the Musher commits to the strength of the individuals on the team, and the team itself, in the spirit that the team in turn will help the Musher to achieve his or her personal and professional goals. In the spirit of the dog sledding metaphor, if the team does not win, the Leader cannot win. If the dogs cross the finish line without the Leader or the sled, the team cannot win, and as a corollary, the Leader cannot declare victory when crossing the finish line without the dogsled or team intact. Hence, Musher Management is a leadership philosophy centered around the principle of “self-interested caretaking™”.
Musher Management Is About Leading From the Rear
It is about having the courage to allow your team to do what it does best. It is about establishing trusting relationships between the CEO and the team, and equally important, about facilitating that same trust among and throughout the team.
Leading from the rear takes a leap of faith in others, but it is not a leap you take without some careful preparation. Having the right people in the right roles, and having those people well understand what is expected of them is critical to establishing a trust-based leadership team. Leading from behind is also a bit scary as it challenges our traditional thoughts about leadership – the entitlement, the ego satisfaction, the romantic notions of leading — and puts CEO’s last in line.
However, imagine the incredible satisfaction in discovering that instead of having one person concerned about and committed to your success (YOU) you now have many — and those many people will make you successful!
Who is the Musher?
David Falter
Dave Falter is a 30+ year executive and eight-time President/CEO who has created, shaped, and led domestic and global businesses with revenues ranging from $25M to $1.5B+ and employee bases of 60 to 2,500 in the global travel eCommerce, high-technology, performance textiles, cybersecurity, and business services industries – to name a few.
During his days as an entrepreneur, Dave discovered how much he was dependent upon his employees and his management team, and how dependent they were in turn upon him and the daily behavioral choices he made in terms of his management practices and leadership style. In short, Dave realized that at the end of every day, his employees made a choice to return to work for him and his management team. Dave developed the point of view that his ultimate personal customer was each and every individual employee — which became the genesis of his leadership philosophy of “self-interested caretaking™. Later in his career Dave encountered the sport of dog sledding and had the opportunity to personally witness the power and elegance of “leading from the rear”. On a daily basis, Dave actively practices the concepts of Musher Management™ and attempts to refine them in his current leadership roles, in his Executive Coaching relationships, and in his leadership as Managing Partner of Acorn Growth Partners, Inc.
Dave lives in Glencoe, IL with his wife of thirty+ years and their English chocolate Labrador. A proud father of three adult sons, Dave is an avid reader of early 20th century fiction, a racquet sports enthusiast, skier, and SCUBA diver.
