Picture a horse. Picture its elegant, muscular body and its ability to move perfectly despite its weight of over 400 kilos and realize at the same time that although the horse is much stronger than you it is ready and willing to serve you. I love horse riding: the outdoor playing, the care taking. It provides me with a feeling of great freedom. Whenever I interact with a horse, I am aware that when I guide such a forceful animal in the direction I want it to go or maneuver I am restrained to the horse’s characteristics as well as to my own abilities and limitations.
Can you guess the analogy for which I want to use horse riding? Horse riding in fact perfectly illustrates what it takes to provide good leadership. And good leadership is lacking in many organizations, for as far as I can tell. If you are running an organization, take some of the lessons below to heart and apply for a basic course in horse riding. I guarantee you that you will instantly turn into the greatest leader your organization has ever known.
Before moving on to the lessons, conceptualize the following: The horse is the organization, i.e. all the employees you are in charge of; and the horseman is you the manager or leader. In order to be the horseman you need to climb the horse. Naturally as long as you have not climbed the horse there is no problem. After all, you do have the choice to ride it or not. However, once you climb on the animals back the game has begun. But in contrast to what you might have guessed it is not your desire of riding the horse that characterizes the course you are set to go. Instead it is the horse’s desire of being ridden that influences the direction and outcome of the course. Hence, in the position of rider you, as the organization’s manager, has lost free will and you are now at the mercy of your own role.
Enough introduction! Now start with the lessons.
Lesson one
We all have watched westerns and understood the basics of moving a horse. Horses respond to the directions and relaxation of the rider. So do not push! Kick the horse with your leg or whip it to make it move forward. Tug the rein to direct it leftward or rightward. Then, relax and move to the next directive. Eg. You want the horse to TURN right, make him feel you want it. Next you want it to MOVE in that particular direction, make him feel that too.
There is a constant follow up of directions. In which you never lose contact with the horse. Lay your legs gently against both sides of the horse’s body and feel the connection with its mouth through the reins. Do not apply constant pressure. Trust on the ability of the horse. Do you know how much pushing you need to get a horse moving if you rely only on your physical power?
The organization you manage also incorporates lots of abilities, strengths and moving power. It is up to the manager to make the organization aware of it and give meaningful directions.
Lesson two
If a horse does not do what you want it to do, you are not giving proper directions. When riding the horse, it reacts to the slightest movements. Even the most subtle change in balance influences its movements. Imagine the knight riding the horse. If he does well, his horse does exactly what the knight wants him to do and in a perfect manner. If he does not, the horse does not know what to do.
Horse riding also teaches me a lot about myself. I am confronted with my abilities and limitations. I may want to make larger circles, but if I do not give proper directions, the horse just will not do it, because it might think that the smaller circles are good as well. And indeed smaller circels are good in a general sense, but not if it does not fit in my vision.
When giving directions, ignore how they are understood by the employees, but look at the organization. What is necessary to make them understand YOUR meaning? A crucial point here is that although it is YOUR meaning, this meaning is in essence the meaning of the organisation. You might need to develop some teaching skills first and then lecture on how you see the organization growing.
Lesson three
Get to know the personality of your organization. You know the characteristics of the horse and the limitations and abilities it brings with it. You cannot endless walk the desert with a horse, therefore you need a camel. And you cannot make a camel take a jump track. Obviously within your organization there is a lot of talent. Talent means abilities as well as inabilities. One employee, who is great in fulfilling one task, might not be great in fulfilling another. A great leader notices and uses these differences and creates space for each individual talent to excel. Additionally, a leader adds meaning to talent, because he places the talent in a context. That is how he turns human capital into a profit.
What I want to make clear is that a true leader is supportive to the organization. Leadership is about guiding an organisation. Like guiding a horse. And horse riding is best fun if the animal likes it, as well as the horseman. It is a constant interaction. It is about creating a game of mutual understanding and of action-reaction. Also be aware of the care taking aspect. It improves the relation. Rubbing the sweat of the horses’ back, cleaning the reins and horseshoes. Be awar that the organisation wants to be taken care of.
The question now is, how much fun do you (want to) experience in fulfilling your job?
Have fun driving the herd!
Living her dreams and inhabited the characteristics of her favourite animal, the butterfly, Maureen contributes to the world by creating, connecting and expressing good nature. She graduated in Communication Studies from the University of Amsterdam and perceives herself as the eternal student. Finding her peace in listening to birds and philosophizing with friends. She is co-founder of Artistieke krachten and Rightside and founder of Fiero Creations. She works on projects in which people are to use her knowledge. Maureen travels to SFO and BCN, listens to Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Jenna Attison, wears Kookai and Anti-flirt, eats salads and Asian cuisine, reads Aristotle and Vanity Fair, rides horse and bicycle and refuses to be subject of destructive emotions.