A recent Japanese school production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves explored new artistic ground by featuring 25 Snow Whites and no dwarves. The directorial strategy behind this sidekick free initiative was that every child who took part in the story should play the part of the heroine.

Although the visionary dramaturg who orchestrated this innovative performance may have been under great parental pressure, the resulting production accurately reflects the approach taken by many business schools and leadership initiatives.

On any leadership course, one of the first questions to be asked is ‘What is the most important attribute of any leader?’. Various responses are given and elicited, usually along the lines of ‘courage’, ‘vision’, ‘integrity’ and so on. However, the one attribute that any leader really needs is rarely identified, if ever.

The key attribute that all leaders need is followers, but many leadership programmes are encouraging a generation of Snow Whites to stunt their own growth by ignoring the value of others in developing their individual potential.

In Dreamwork, we recognise and encourage both Heroes and Helpers. Instead of fixating on the Hero’s Journey with its single hero and anonymous helpers, we work in Heroic Space, where all participants have the opportunity to be both Heroes and Helpers, depending on their intentions and needs.