Today's leaders worldwide are looking for ways to develop emotional intelligence to reach their full potential, personally and professionally.
Because horses are finely tuned for survival by listening to their instincts, they are naturals at teaching emotional intelligence.
An unfamiliar noise or a sudden movement puts a horse on alert that something is amiss.
Horses are so highly sensitive to inconsistencies in their environment that a passing mountain lion with a full belly stirs no unease.
A lion that is hungry puts the herd on ready alert.
People are masterful at thinking one thing and feeling another; e.
g.
, I'm angry but I tell myself that nothing is wrong.
When we fool ourselves like this, we are like that hungry lion sneaking through the woods.
We think we are going undetected, but if we are near a horse, her sensitivity to our inconsistency will put her on ready alert.
She will reflect our emotional state by being aloof, agitated, or nervous.
Many companies are now using horse-guided coaching to help their leaders become aware of their emotions and behavior as reflected by horses.
This work helps them to see with new clarity how their emotions and behavior impact others, then learn how to make changes within themselves to create the positive results they are looking for.
Through horse-human activities done on the ground, participants discover new information about themselves and practice new ways of being.
No riding is involved.
So what can we learn from horses about using our emotional intelligence? 1.
Horses don't feed on worry and fear.
They trust their instincts to deal with danger when it comes.
Meanwhile, they respond to life as it is.
A fence is there, so they won't go beyond it.
There's a lot of grass to eat so they'll eat it now.
It's cold.
It's hot.
That's all.
The lesson for humans is to be in the present moment, not the past or the future.
2.
Horses respond immediately to danger signals-faster than humans.
Ears up, noses flared, they communicate alarm to each other.
Within minutes, the entire herd is on alert.
They would rather be wrong and go back to eating than ignore warning signs and be eaten.
The lesson for humans in organizations is to be aware of the signals that our bodies and emotions give us.
Awareness as an observation of what's so, not a judgment formed in the mind as to whether those signals are good or bad, is the first step.
3.
When a horse is in trouble, others in the herd respond quickly.
Horses have a herd mentality that we human beings sometimes forget.
They know when the horse next to them has sensed some danger and they help the herd be most effective in its response.
By being aware of ourselves as herd animals, we realize how our mood, tone of voice, thoughts and emotions impact others and how we can best support our herd.
4.
Horses have acute powers of discernment.
They have what we call a soft eye, which means, instead of focusing on one thing, like an archer on a target, they see almost 360 degrees around them, perceiving things with all of their senses from many angles.
Equine-guided leadership development teaches leaders the "body feel" of a soft eye so that they can use it consistently and realize its impact on others.
5.
Horses respond to us just as we are.
They see the good in us.
They do not judge our actions or our being.
When leaders come to equine-guided sessions they learn the distinction between observation and interpretation, and how empowering it can be to themselves and others to start with observation, just what they see.