Leadership

Now that my stay here is nearing its end, I have realised that I have learned a lot about what constitutes good leadership.

Jack (on the left) and Darling grazing together

In the herd here, there is one mare, Darling, who is the lead mare. In a way, I see her role in the herd as a 'queen'. She is a fair and just leader who leads by example. She is acutely aware of her surroundings at all times and is always the first to investigate something new or scary. She will almost always be the first to notice an open gate, and to notice when my focus is lacking when I'm working with her. She is not dominant, and the others freely choose to follow her. To be elected a leader like that, a horse has to follow the rules of the herd and apply them correctly to increase their rank. In this way, the horse earns respect from the other horses in the herd, and the herd has a say in the forming of the lead horse. Through good leadership and effective pecking order, every horse knows its place in the herd. This creates harmony, security for the individual, and a unified group, working together in the best way according to each horse's ability and personality.

Pecking order is a kind of chain of command, supporting and educating all individuals, from the strongest to the weakest. It is the framework of the herd, and comes from the fact that horses are social  animals, and also prey animals. Because of this they need someone to follow when danger is at hand, so that the whole herd can work together and stay safe. One of the rules in the horses' code (like 'the code' at sea) is that if a horse cannot find a leader to follow, it is its job to lead. (see Naked Liberty by Carolyn Resnick, p.171) A horse feels more secure and safe when it is following a leader, and the best partnerships humans have with horses come from the human proving itself as a good leader to the horse, and the horse deciding to follow and trust the human.

Dictatorship is definitely not good leadership. Dictatorship in a herd would not work at all, and that style of leadership (the dominant style) would always be questioned. The only male in the herd here, Jack, is a dominant horse. He is not as respected as Darling, and is actually number three or four in the pecking order. His leadership is often challenged by the younger horses, and he can get a bit violent with them.

Sadly, though, this is the kind of leadership we often find in leading positions in corporations today. Selfish leadership where rules sometimes are made up along the way, and very few of the workers would choose to follow the boss if given the choice. Leadership is not earned, it is acquired through pushing oneself on and up, often at the expense of others. Good leadership makes people want to follow and please the leader, while dictatorship pushes people away.

I have also realised that the kind of leadership found in lead horses such as Darling, is the kind of leadership you have between dance partners. The man leads, but the intention and goal is that the man and the woman move as one, in harmony. They are partners, but it is clear who is making the decisions. When I dance, I love to really let go and be led. It is such a wonderful feeling. This kind of dancing partnership is therefore possible between humans and horses, and it is really a magical thing.

I am very thankful that I have witnessed such a great example of good leadership here. I will carry this experience with me, and in the process of becoming a better leader myself, I will be on the lookout for good leaders to follow, because in that position I feel more secure and I have the freedom to become creative.

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