It is impossible to ‘make’ a horse do anything.

Because horses are preyed upon in nature, these sensitive, intuitive creatures have a highly developed ability to respond to their environment.  Subtle changes and nuances that we may not be aware of can provoke reactions in the horse that give us information about ourselves.  Their responses help us identify behaviours that impact our lives and careers in a negative way or keep us from moving forward.  Through the authentic connection that horses require of us, we learn to clearly communicate our intentions. 

Horses respond with trust and full engagement – just what leaders are looking for from  their employees, and just what employees are looking for from their supervisors and place of employment.

Horses teach us the difference between willingness and compliance.  From this we understand how to engage with colleagues and staff in a way that will produce quality performance.

Clear and Direct Communication

Horses do not deal in ambiguity. When horses communicate they are not trying to please you or avoid confrontation; what you see is what you get, and they expect the same from you.  Horses thrive on direct communication that keeps things clear and congruent in their environment.  What or how you tell them is what they react to.  If you are not clear about what you want from them, it becomes obvious, because they either do what they think you have asked of them, or they become anxious because of the ambiguity -often misinterpreted as ‘bad’ behaviour.

Isn’t that what happens on the human side of life?  We think we are communicating our needs clearly, however, people don’t respond the way we think they should. We decide they are not smart, have a bad attitude, are too uptight or just don’t ‘get’ it. We lose trust.  Horses show us how communication, clarity and trust are linked.  They insist that we are clear about what we want and how we ask for it, which leads to strong team connection and cohesiveness.

Learning and Results

When interpersonal relationships don’t work or are less than optimal, so are business results.  Horses as coaches in leadership show us the critical importance of trust and understanding in relationships – and how that impacts learning and results. If horses learn that they can trust you to do what you say you are going to do and ask clearly for what you want, they will almost always comply. They show us how our relationship to them can produce poor or wonderful results

Teamwork and Horses

Here are some of the many ways teams can work with The Spirit of Leadership Program:

• Learn to re-connect and build a seamless approach where everyone understands each other and works to achieve a common goal
• Bring different teams together to build cohesion where all the energy is being channelled towards a common goal
• Create a shared understanding where there are ‘cultural’ and ‘language’ barriers across functions and countries.
• Train in problem resolution and conflict strategies