I recently attended a leadership workshop that my friends Natalie and Brian gave that incorporated horses in the activities. We didn't ride the horses or train the horses. On the contrary, we learned more from them than I think they learned from us.
Growing up I wanted a horse like most young girls do. My mom decided to help me understand the responsibility of owning a horse, she would send me to a week long day camp where they taught us how to take care of them and ride them. Well, at age 12, that solved it. I didn't ask for a horse again. Have you ever tried to change a horseshoe?
It wasn't until a few months ago and befriending Natalie and Brian, that I started being curious about horses again. I connected with one horse in particular. It was unexplainable, but I got the feeling that he understood me. As I write this, I'm thinking that it sounds like an awkward scene in a movie, "You understand (or complete) me."
We spent time observing ourselves and the horses and experienced what it was like to lead with intuition and positive energy. For the first time, I appreciated those unexplainable gut feelings and the power that those can have on leadership. I was able to lead a horse around a corral without touching him, forcing him, or moving out of one spot. How is that possible? By requesting that the horse follow, asking others to follow an action that seems arbitrary, and my willingness to trust my gut feeling and having the confidence to voice it to other people.
I had a group of people walk in a single file line around the ring and ignoring the horse. As they passed the horse, the horse got in the middle of the line and walked with the group across a low jump obstacle. It was so amazing that I don't even believe it happened.
It brought the question to my mind, "How many times do I hold myself back because I don't trust my intuition?"
