Rethinking Conventional Wisdom As We Seek Unconventional Leadership

Amidst the waves of social, political and economic change we are currently experiencing how can leaders rise to the challenge and deliver on a vision for a better future? I believe we must rethink conventional wisdom on this topic. In our search for a new way to lead, we must first allow ourselves to think unconventionally which will certainly require new and unconventional approaches.
 
Anyone who is consciously embarked upon the learner’s/leadership path continually matures into new phases throughout the course of life. Successful leaders naturally reach a new destination only to find they need to reinvent themselves again and again.  
 
New Ideas Come From The Heart
 
This fertile ground, this leadership path, becomes the playing field for developing new skills. It is a never-ending quest that requires redefining and refining WHO we are now. Horses, and the horse sense they offer up to humans in the 21st century, may allow us to see our growth and learning in a new light and become a metaphor for how we are leading change in our own lives, our families, our communities and our world. Through working with horses, we come into alignment with our intuitive nature allowing us to feel our way through life which is distinct from knowing our way. Feeling comes from the heart and gives rise to novel, out-of-the-box ideas.
 
Shifting The Leadership Paradigm
 
Those in corporations must make a shift in thinking about conventional top-down leadership. This model in which everyone below the ‘leader’ is considered to be virtually interchangeable does not inspire trust, loyalty or the motivation to grow. An unconventional approach to leadership considers each individual a leader in their own right when their talents and strengths are clearly identified and appropriately used.
 
Working With Horse Power
 
I have never met a person who is not awed by the beauty and power of a swiftly moving horse.  They are an ancient archetypical symbol in the human psyche representing dignity, honor, nobility, beauty strength, sovereignty and endurance. The horse’s majestic presence conjures our imaginations and inspires us to bring forward our own sense of freedom, power and destiny.
 
Biologically our human drives and our nature are very similar to the horse.  They live in herds; we live in families and communities.  It’s very stressful for a horse to be isolated or put in some kind of artificial environment. Over time, both isolation and insulation can cause physical and psychological dysfunction to both horses and humans.
 
Horses and humans need to contribute and to be of service. Both are at the top of their game mentally, physically, emotionally and in spirit when contributing the best parts of themselves at the right time and in the right environment or place. When leaders work with horses, they see immediately a new way to engage their teams. In the new leadership paradigm, we want our teams to be empowered and feel a sense of power. Leaders who fail to engage their teams miss out on unique insights and expertise which are critical to transformation and progress.

Reimagine Leadership
 
As businesses strive to stay on the cutting-edge during times of tumultuous change, leadership roles must be a priority. Reimagining leadership can be one of the most exciting areas of development for businesses. If you would like to explore how one of our out-of-the-box programs can benefit you and/or your team, give us a call. At Medicine Horse Ranch, we design custom horse assisted experiential programs for groups, individuals, businesses and organizations around any number of relevant issues and/or topics.