In January, a friend said she was having fun volunteering to feed horses at a horse-assisted therapy center. I checked it out and, as they say, the rest is history.
In February, I began the adventure of learning horse. (That sentence may not be grammatically correct, but it’s accurate, in my experience.) I also began learning about kids with disabilities. Being new to both these worlds has grabbed my heart big time. I witness easily distracted kids stay focused. I watch non-verbal kids give enthusiastic thumbs-up as they groom their horse. Both the kids and the horses live in unique worlds with distinct languages and ways of being. The highly-trained and caring staff of Divine Equine effectively live in both. Miraculous.
The mission of Divine Equine is to facilitate the connection between horse and human to provide confidence, belonging, and independence beyond the diagnosis. Take a break and watch videos of parents talking about their child’s experiences. If this touches you, please help Divine Equine continue their work: https://gofund.me/6463bb15. Thank you.
In March, with zero horse experience, I chose to learn to be a horse leader – the volunteer who leads the horse during the lesson. What I’ve learned in 30+ years of successfully coaching business leaders 
and teams create breakthroughs in results has been helpful. What’s been most helpful has been to continually set aside what I know and be a novice. That’s the leadership lesson I am learning – again. Here I’m leading Hollywood to his stall after a lesson.
Some of my instructors have 2 legs, some 4. Here are 3 of the 100’s of things I’m learning, at a new level, from them both:
- intentionally invite, not coerce
- be curious, not already know
- slow down, not rush
After each time at the ranch, I come away sweaty, dusty, and renewed. How do you come away from your last meeting? your day? How might you take each of these and integrate into how you lead?
- intentionally invite, not coerce >> Are you making requests, listening for commitment, or just demanding?
- be curious, not already know >> Do you listen for possibility or squash it because “you know” or already have your mind made up?
- slow down, not rush >> Do you schedule time between meetings to debrief and recenter or run yourself ragged with back-to-back-to-back-to-back meetings?
Whether it’s with horses or not, set aside what you’re sure of, all the certificates and past successes, and learn something outside your comfort zone. Your mission: Don’t let what you know get in the way of what you can learn.
Relationships are the foundation for results — the relationship with yourself, others and the future. I volunteer to make this opportunity available for the kids, for the results and possibilities they can now live into. What I didn’t expect are the results and the possibilities I can now live into. Miraculous.
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Camille – this is wonderful. I am struck by people in positions of leadership who still rely on coercion as a means of motivating people. It never works. You provoked an image of using force on a horse and how diminishing the returns must be for someone who thinks that has any positive lasting effect. It’s akin to yelling at people thinking if you keep doing so they will eventually buy in to what you are selling. Nuts – although we both spent some time around folk(s) who operated that way.
Glad to see you enjoying life! Stay well.
Josh … knowing you makes me smile. The lesson I’m learning with horses: if you want the horse’s behavior to change, you change yourself. this experience is so affirming and deepening the last 30+ years of my practice. I am grateful.