Team Leadership Development
According to recent trends of leadership development, there are two that are changing most rapidly, becoming more necessary in our changing and quickening world.
1. Leadership is becoming more personal and internal. Leadership development is evaluated on an individual basis; the one-size-fits-all leadership training is no longer relevant. Leadership is more about who the person is (presence), rather than about how the person behaves once they are in the leadership position. More and more of leadership development is becoming about how to compel the respect and trust of others and how to inspire, rather than having these values automatically assumed and the leader being left to figure out how to maintain or establish leadership skills day to day or month to month.
2. The trial and error feedback loop for successful leadership development is happening at a faster pace. Sustainable leadership is learned, not taught. Therefore, the more immediate the feedback, the more efficient and sustainable the results. Businesses and organizations have fewer resources available to send their developing leaders to classes that 
can last weeks, only to then have them apply the techniques to team members over a period of months. Leaders need their learning and development to be in integrative increments that they can practice and embody – in the same day.
Embodiment of leadership presence is described as inspiring, motivating, commanding, energizing, credible, focused, confident and compelling. It’s the ability to direct the attention of others. Great business executives have it, great coaches have it, great community leaders have it, great politicians have it. It’s the ability to connect authentically and empathetically with the thoughts and feelings of others. When we connect with others we find ways to add value.
In Equine-Guided Leadership & Team Development we help each person discover his or her own unique presence and potential from the inside out by using experiential exercises with horses. Leaders must form connections, communicate effectively and work with others as a team. They must be able to influence and move others, directing the hearts and minds of others toward some common purpose, producing a desirable result for the group or organization. A successful leader can engage the full energies and dedication of others to a common end.
Through Equine Guided Education experiential activities we focus on just that – how to connect authentically, communicate nonverbally, and coordinate with a team as a unit of one, while each individual possesses a clear focus and valuable job. One hands-on learning exercise, called the 'Horse Course' involves problem solving, positive risk taking, creative thinking, collaboration, goal setting and defining success as 'when all members contribute to the outcome'. Equine-Guided Leadership & Team Development is for anyone who must encourage achievement and positive change in any group. It can be a family, a community group, a non-profit organization, a government agency, a small business or a large corporation.
Objectives
- Flexibility - thinking outside the box; meeting others where they are; being clear about what is fixed and what is open to change; willing to give up expectations and adapt to new and different circumstances
- Communication - mostly nonverbal, listening to what is not spoken; authentic connections; enhanced active listening skills; giving and receiving grounded assessments; making offers and requests; keeping promises; giving and receiving reports
- Coordination - building unified teams so the group can thrive; becoming like minded to the end of a common goal; defining a sense of meaning and purpose; creating awareness that each member's position has value
- Contribution - acknowledging, accepting and offering authentic value toward the same goal; generosity of spirit
- Trust - allowing team members to process openly in a natural and neutral environment, helps teams re-connect and re-align in the team’s purpose while supporting team member’s individual goals and development
The process includes:
- Class time to understand the principles of working with horses to develop leadership and build effective teams
- Instruction, direction and coaching for experiential exercises with horses
- Debrief and group discussion to further integrate discoveries and learning
It is strongly recommended to plan at least a 2-day event to fully immerse and integrate the principles and practices. Please contact us so we can customize a lineup and estimate a price at no obligation.
Lucinda Newman, Certified Equine Guided Educator and Team Development Coach, was directly trained and certified in 2005 by Ariana Strozzi, Master Somatic Coach, who co-founded the Strozzi Institute of Leadership and whose Horses & LeadershipTM program clients include Institute for Womens Leadership, New Era Trainings, Meridian University, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Development and more.