How moving a horse changed my leadership mindset
As someone who has always been valued for my ability to deliver under pressure and my sense of urgency to make things happen, I thought the emotions I felt in those moments were a good thing. Somewhere along the way, I started associating urgency with results. It took a beautiful horse named Zee and my equine leadership coach, Ryan Szuch, to show me otherwise.
Now, before I lose you, I’m not saying pressure is bad. In fact, I’d argue that a little friction is essential. We tend to treat friction as a negative, but nothing moves without it. Strike a match, and you get a flame. What I learned is that when your energy becomes fuel for others instead of pressure on them, you can truly move mountains. Or in this case, a horse.
Ryan and I are both solopreneurs, and we’ve collaborated well on projects. I’ve come to value his steady energy, which welcomes my exuberance and helps me channel it where it does the most good. So when he told me he was pursuing his certificate as an equine leadership coach through The Center for Equus Coaching, I was intrigued. I’m always looking for ways to grow, and I’d always wanted to spend time around horses. There just never seemed to be enough time.
For this opportunity, I made time. And I’m still unpacking everything I learned.
Horses are known for mirroring the energy of the people around them. If you aren’t fully present, the horse feels it and won’t be fully present for you or for what you’re asking of her. Show up in a bad mood and try to rush through grooming, and you’ll likely get a nip or a head nudge.
Luckily for me, Zee and I connected right away. As Ryan walked me around to meet the horses, I was instantly drawn to her. She felt my admiration and gave me a sweet kiss. That was all I needed to ask if Zee could be my horse for the session.
Ryan walked me through the safety procedures for handling a horse and brought Zee into the round pen. We took our time talking, and he gave me plenty of visual demonstrations to make sure I was comfortable before I ever stepped inside. Looking back, that was a leadership lesson of its own: he made sure I was prepared before asking me to perform. How often do we give our teams that same preparation before we send them into the deep end?
In the pen, my job was to channel calm. The more I focused on Zee and gave her my full presence, the more she reflected it back to me.
Then I wanted to see that beauty run.
Once Ryan was confident in how I was handling her, we moved to the larger arena, and everything I had been doing had to change. Calm wasn’t going to get Zee moving. I shifted my energy from stillness to motion. I slapped the rope against the ground. I started running myself. I shouted encouragement every time she responded. And there, my friends, I got Zee moving.
I was also winded in no time.
Seeing her in full motion filled me with appreciation for what she could do. And when you see what someone is truly capable of, you want to protect the conditions that let them do it. At the end of the day, that’s what being a leader is about – taking care of your people and making sure everyone thrives.
Calm in the round pen. Movement in the ring arena. The energy was completely different, but one thing never changed: I was focused on Zee the entire time, watching how she responded to every cue. I didn’t pick an energy and push it onto her. I read what she needed, then chose the energy that would help her get there.
That was my lightbulb moment. Urgency isn’t the problem. Urgency as a default is. Energy flows both ways, but we always choose the energy we bring, and we can adapt it to what our teams need.
Do you need your team excited about their work and pouring creative energy into finding solutions? Are you excited about your work? And is the energy you’re bringing what your team needs right now, or just what you’re used to bringing?
This is where friction comes back in. Sometimes what a team needs isn’t calm. It’s a spark. An honest conversation in a time of conflict can feel like friction, but handled with presence, it’s often what leads to repair and alignment. The goal isn’t to avoid friction. It’s to create the right kind, at the right time, for the right reason.
The answers to those questions are the first steps toward building meaningful relationships with your team – people who share your vision, trust that you have their backs, and want to be part of the work.
I’m still working through how to bring this alignment of energy into my everyday life and
work. Here’s where I’m starting:
• I need to prioritize taking care of myself. A few minutes of running alongside Zee left me out of breath, and it was a good reminder that the energy we give others has to come from somewhere. Self-care is not a reward. It is a necessity.
• I need to ask more questions instead of rushing to provide answers. When I lead with curiosity, the best path becomes more apparent.
• I need to make sure everyone on my team knows their role and knows they are valued. It’s not a leader’s job to know every aspect of the business – it’s their job to build the best team. When that team feels seen and needed, they want to do their part for our shared success.
I also can’t emphasize enough how helpful Ryan was as a coach throughout the process. He asked thoughtful questions and encouraged me to dig deeper to get to the heart of the issue, all without making me feel like I had to answer what I hadn’t yet processed.
Somewhere along the way, I started believing that urgency was what got results. Zee showed me that the best results come when I take the time to understand what’s needed, and then choose the energy that will get us there. Sometimes that’s calm. Sometimes it’s a rope slapping the ground and a lot of cheering. Either way, it starts with being present.
Will there be more musings on my time with Zee? I hope so. What I do know is that I plan to share equine leadership coaching with more leaders in my community – the community builders who pour their all into making our community strong and who need resources like this to keep dreaming while staying centered.
What energy is your team picking up from you this week?
If you’d like to learn more about Equus Coaching, reach out to Ryan Szuch at ryan@growconservation.com.
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