In any work-force there are three kinds of people.

You have the leader, the boss - the person with the ideas, the charisma, the networking skills and the one who is the most easily replaceable. Figuratively speaking, the structure wouldn't collapse when you remove the boss.

Then you have the second rung-people. They are not leaders. But they are the people who actually help in the smooth functioning of the organization`. They are less powerful. They are the ones who are highly dependable when it comes to work. But don't even dream of depending on them when you are in spot or when you need backing for something that you believe in or anything that needs initiative or individual thinking. These guys are valuable and almost irreplaceable. The structure gets shaken if you remove them.

Then you have the last rung. The workers. They do the dogs work, the actual work. They are the ones who give shape to your ideas. They work more than the others and get paid less than the others. If they put down their tools you are done-in. They are emotional, they expose all human frailties in their day-to-day life. And they are like rolling stones. They are replaceable. But most of the time you don't because as I said, they are the ones who give physical shape and form to your ideas.

This dynamics exist in all work-groups. And that's what I saw in play in this particular group of workers. In the larger structure, they belong to the third rung. But within the group there are members that belong to all the three rungs. It was fascinating to watch the dynamics play out amongst these race-course workers.