Group Field Leadership

‘Group Field Leadership‘ is a Nature Trail term recognising the field leadership challenges required of a Trip Leader required to lead a group of individuals whilst on a tour, whether day hiking, multi-day trekking, and/or road tour.

This is especially when such tours are usually delivered in remote areas and ‘mid-trip’ under unexpected adverse conditions including the unforeseen: unforecast weather problems, change of plans, hazards, obstacles, equipment failure/damage/loss, re-routing, incidents, injuries/illnesses, emergencies, interpersonal conflict, etc. and indeed a combination of any of these.

Often, once such a trip commences, it is difficult to en route alter or terminate the trip without repercussions of cost overruns, interpersonal conflicts, group separation risk, and other problems and dangers to the tour group and to its individuals ensuing.

Group Field Leadership is about maintaining/restoring group safety, trust, temperament, interpersonal cohesion, individual survival and the ultimate aim of total return of all to base all well and frankly non-litigant.  It so necessitates advanced interpersonal skills, people management and leadership traits, and situational style/approaches required of, and delegated to, a professional Trip Leader under such situations.

Group Field Leadership is a critical skill set for problem avoidance, then of escalation mitigation when on a tour things go wrong.