Lessons for business, leadership and life in the Year of the Horse
- By Eugene Clark
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 7, 2014
4. Charisma and presence
Horses know a lot about charisma. Their strong sense of body language enables the leader of a herd to command with a minimum of effort and with maximum clarity and conviction. For humans, it is important to realize, as author Olivia Fox reminds us in The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism (Portfolio Trade 2013). Ways of adding to our charisma include generating enthusiasm and being conscious of our physical presence. Watching a herd of horses even for a few minutes can reveal the leader. Similarly, standing tall, shoulders back, looking up and with feet slightly apart gives one a larger presence. When we fill the space, people respond intuitively and we generate greater charisma.
5. Being present in the moment
Horses are always aware of their surroundings and their circumstances. For example, they'll use their heightened senses to search for food or travel further afield to find what they need. Working with horses can teach you how to be more aware of the environment you're in and to use all your senses. This is what is meant by "being present in the moment." When we allow ourselves to be distracted by our mobile phone or other technology, we lose valuable opportunities to communicate, to listen and learn and make the most of our interactions with others.
6. Knowing when to conserve energy and when to burn it
On the one hand (or hoof), horses conserve energy, preferring to spend time in quietly grazing and communicating with one another through subtle gestures as mentioned above. At the same time horses have tremendous spirit and enthusiasm when they need it, such as when the herd is threatened or they need to run fast to escape a threat. They exude great spirit, too, when they run, prance and play. Perhaps that is why we enjoy watching them and so many works of art and sculpture depict them.
Humans, too, need to learn when to fire up and when to slow down and take it easy. We need to march in step to the rhythm of life and be in tune with our colleagues so that we can maximize our efforts, support and learn from one another and complement our strengths.
7. Guiding change rather than forcing It
Finally, we should also take note of the way that horse and rider work harmoniously together. The best riders and their horses work as a team. The rider guides the horse rather than forces it. Rider and horse understand one another and anticipate each other's needs. When there is a need for a change in direction, the horse is more effectively guided rather than forced. Similarly, transformative change in organizations, in people, is most often best achieved by facilitation, by guiding and mentoring rather than pushing and prodding.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:
http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm
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