Distributed or large communities of practice require subdivision—one cannot feel a sense of community, for example, with another 1000 colleagues. One way is to nurture topic areas which are best supported by a credible subject matter expert. Sometimes the best subject matter expert is too busy to act as a community topic leader. By dint of their expertise they are in high demand. John Vucko, the Global Community of Practice leader for BHP Billiton, suggested this solution. Ask the busy expert to suggest an apprentice who might take on the role of topic leader and then ask the expert to mentor this person in the role. The apprentice typically sees this as an opportunity to form a closer relationship with a recognised expert while also increasing their profile within the organisation. The expert feel they can contribute without being overwhelmed with additional responsibilities.