One of the things I’m really excited about in my Leadership Mastery through the Way of the Horse series is the opportunity to collaborate with amazing professionals who are expert in what they do. I’m so pleased that Michael Godfrey, SPHR, Owner and Principal at Organizational Alchemy, joins me this fall to collaborate on the last of the 2011 workshops, Leading with Trust.
Michael and I believe that there is no single ‘best’ leadership style. What isconsistent – and critical – is that great leaders inspire trust. People are simply not willing to recognize someone as their leader and follow them unless they trust them, not just intellectually, but ethically and emotionally.
According to Stephen Covey in his book The Speed of Trust, there are five waves of trust – with each wave flowing out from the center like a ripple in a pond. The first wave – self trust – is the basis of all the others. If a leader does not have trust in themselves and their abilities, no one else can truly have trust in them.
Our workshop helps leaders first and foremost build trust in him or herself. Leaders learn to develop self-trust through one-on-one interaction and work with horses. This summer, Michael attended Leadership and Horse Sense and experienced working with horses first-hand. (That’s Michael in the picture above with Cato.)
‘In the beginning’, Michael admitted, ‘I was skeptical about how working with horses could teach anyone about leadership. Amanda quickly made a believer out of me – to the point where I am now co-facilitating a workshop! As an experienced horsewoman and through years of experience teaching leadership, Amanda has an uncanny ability to relate and teach leadership and trust by partnering with her horses.’
Michael went on to say, ‘Anyone can take a one or two-day leadership workshop. Typically they are held in a work conference room or hotel. Participants sit at round tables, listen to lecturers speak on different theoretical ideas about what leadership and trust mean. This workshop is different. It’s hands on. It’s outside. It’s about creating a bond with the horses, not through skills as a horse trainer, but by simply building trust in yourself and your ability to lead. It will change how you view leadership.’
Michael feels there are three important things for people attending their first workshop to know:
- ‘You really don’t need any prior horse experience – in fact, it can be a good thing. That way, when you get results with a horse you’re working with, you know it’s your own personal success.
- Any initial fear or unease you may have about this class quickly dissipates and only enhances your experience!
- And thank goodness, no riding is involved! All the exercises are on the ground.’
Together Michael and I have 40 years of leadership experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Michael is also a certified Franklin Covey trainer in The Speed of Trust. We’ve worked together before and share a common understanding of what leadership truly means. We have fun and our workshop will be fun too!
So, come join us for Leading with Trust. As a leader, you’ll walk away with a different sense of what leadership is, the importance of starting with self-trust as a way to inspire and lead your team, as well as a memorable leadership experience with horses.
To learn more about Michael, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Organizational-Alchemy/129733567095774.
For more information: Leading with Trust
But, there’s a lot more going on in the movie than inspiring people to make changes in how they interact with horses. The movie touches a chord in non-horse people, too. My friend, Laura, who is content to admire horses from a distance, went to see the movie with me. She was moved to tears as well as surprise and delight. On more than one occasion, she clutched my arm and whispered loudly ‘Wow! Did you see that?!’Later, I asked Laura why the movie had made such an impression on her. She thought about it for a minute. ‘Well, in a way, it’s not a movie about horses. It’s about how to build relationships with people and be a better person, too.’ Here are some insights from the movie that remind me about what horses have to teach us about trust, respect, and partnership that can help us be better leaders.
