Authentic Leadership

The buzz word about dealing with horses these days seems to be leadership. But what is authentic leadership? I will start with what authentic leadership is NOT!

I am learning that authentic leadership with either horses or humans is NOT as much about communication as we may think. It is NOT about taking personality or horsenality assessments. Authentic leadership is NOT about focusing on what you think someone else needs. Or giving them what you think they need.

We often think leadership is all about management and control. But that is NOT true authentic leadership either. A heavy focus on management and control is about being the boss. Leadership is NOT about telling others what to do and controlling the outcomes.

The real key in leading others is to understand the difference between managing and controlling versus leadership and leading with people or horses. Authentic leadership is about finding what is important to others, what they need and creating environments where they can reach their own potential. Authentic Leadership starts with being able to lead yourself first! You cannot lead anyone until you can first lead yourself!

You cannot lead yourself until you are really committed to the truth. The truth about yourself and the fundamental core values you have will affect how you lead anyone be it horse or human. You must know what your core values are and be able to define them before you can become an effective leader. You must have a clear idea about who you are what you want to become, and where you want to go before you can lead. Otherwise it is the blind leading the blind.

You cannot lead others until you are willing and able to truly listen to them. Listening to those you are leading is a top priority for an authentic leader. I mean really listening by focusing on every word that comes out of their mouth. Also by watching every move or expression of the horse because that is how he is communicating to you. Everything one does or says means something to them even if it isn’t clear to you. When you really learn to listen you won’t have to tell people or horses what to do or what they need. You will ask them what they need and what you can do to help them?

An authentic leader takes a position of service, rather than what can I do to get the ones I’m am leading to do what I want. Authentic leaders have an attitude that helping others be able to lead themselves is of upmost importance. Then when those you are leading can lead themselves they in return become of service to you.

In order to do this you choose to understand what truly motivates the people or horse you are working with to try harder. You choose to commit more to what is important to them than what is important to you. You choose to create things that they never believed possible to become reality.

Choosing to truly listen and understand those you are leading while serving them will create authentic leadership. When one leads with authentic leadership the product is more authentic leaders not a bunch of blind robots who follow without question, or worse yet a forced performance which causes stress and tension.

You can be what ever you choose to be. This is self-leadership. Believing you can create who you are going to be tomorrow is the first step on Self-Leadership. If you want to be an authentic leader for your horse or anyone else you must master Self-Leadership first.

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Happy Trails,
Sherry Jarvis

"Horsemen share knowledge. Showmen hide it in a corner and go home." -- AQHA Judge Dale Livingston