Can a Leader Be “Tough” and Acknowledge Peoples’ Humanity at the Same Time?
Absolutely. Parents do it every day. Organizational leaders do it every day. In my work doing leadership development coaching in partnership with horses, participants often start out with an assumption that the horses “should” be compliant when asked to do something, like move where a person wants them to go. When the horse is not […]
Is This My Bias or Am I Borrowing It?
Remember, we see the world not as it is but as we are. Most of us see through the eyes of our fears and our limiting beliefs and our false assumptions. – Robin S. Sharma A colleague with whom I am working to launch an in-depth diversity training for leaders recently asked me to join her […]
Finding Courage to Move Through Change
The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. Charles Kettering NOTE: In light of the ongoing challenges we as a human race are facing with social injustices, I’m reposting this blog from several years ago as I think it is relevant to where we are […]
When Knowing is a Curse
“Most under-communication is inadvertent. People are simply unaware of the gap between what’s in their mind and what’s in yours, and you suffer from that same lack of awareness. In fact, a team of researchers writing in the Journal of Political Economy labeled this phenomenon ‘the curse of knowledge.’ It means that […]
Leaders Who Aren’t Afraid of the “V” Word
A leadership development webinar I signed up for (purely out of curiosity) offered as an outcome of the session that I will learn “What leaders need to do to create purpose, connection, and energy to move forward.” In the spirit of authenticity – something my equine team members demand of me all the time – […]
Confronting Our Beliefs About Power
Power. Just the word can evoke a variety of responses from people. To some, the word is a positive representation of being able to rise above adversity and achieve goals – as in being empowered. To others, the word is a negative representation of how people control others through fear. The word itself is neither […]
To Build or Develop – That is the Question
By Ginny Telego If you have ever had the chance to see the Budweiser Clydesdales in person, you know that it is amazing to watch how this team of 8 horses work together in sync to make what they do look effortless. “Teams” of horses have been productive in cultures all over the world for […]
Debunking Stubborn
“That horse is stubborn!” This is a common point of discussion in our leadership and team development workshops when a horse does not seem to be interested in doing what is being asked. Think for a moment about a time when you were communicating something to another person and they seemed to ignore you. It’s […]
What Patagonia and TOMS Shoes Can Teach Us About Our Equine Assisted Business
“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Patagonia Mission Statement In the eight years that I’ve had my equine assisted learning business, I have been challenged with the same thing that most others in this field have struggled with—how do I make this […]
Transparency and Power
Think about a time when someone kept information from you in order to control a situation. It happens everyday in organizations of every kind – for profit and non-profit. Withholding information is not always bad – there are times when leaders must refrain from sharing sensitive information with their team in order to protect the […]