Leadership & Horses™

“SkyHorse’s Leadership and Horses™ program has had a profound effect on me as a leader. It IS the cutting edge of 21st century human development!”

Rayona Sharpnack, Institute for Women’s Leadership and Author of “Trade Up!”

This innovate program, with proven success for over 20 years, masterfully blends business process, linguistics, leadership, sociobiology and the art of horsemanship (nonverbal communication) into a powerful metaphor for developing professional mastery, leadership savvy and team excellence. Our Leadership & Horses™ programs are so successful that other leadership programs incorporate it into their work with their clients including Institute for Womens Leadership, Strozzi Institute, New Era Trainings, Meridian University, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Development and more.

This program is for teams and groups who want to develop their people to think together, resolve conflict together, generate possibilities together, inspire each other and maintain accountabilities together. The insights and skill-building practices introduced in Leadership & Horses™ are dramatic and transformative.

Leadership is a skill that is developed through inquiry and practice. It is a commitment to embody authenticity, integrity, curiosity, trust, reliability and vision.  Modern leadership is not established by your position, job title or intelligence, but, more importantly, it is about the self that you are and the way others see you.  It is a combination of your competency, your character, your deeper attitude for possibility and creativity, you ability to listen to what is not spoken and the way you relate to others. Your competency begins with your natural skills and is further developed through learning new skills, new ways of thinking, and new ways of being present to uncertainty and conflict.
Humans did not invent leadership, rather it is an ancient way that social animals communicate and coordinate together to improve the survivability of the individuals and the group as a whole. Horses and humans share the same social, hierarchal instincts. It is in this interplay that leadership and the ancient art of horsemanship share many similarities. By incorporating horses into leadership development, we learn that leadership is not about ‘command and control’, but rather about our relational abilities. Horses teach leaders how to listen to what is not spoken, to trust their intuition, share their vision and to take embodied action for successful change.

Did you know that the word “manage” means “to train or direct a horse?”

It turns out that what is reflected in the arena as you work with the horse is an accurate reflection of the successes and dilemmas of your leadership style. Horses are our diagnostic wizards, reflecting where an individual or group is aligned and working effectively and where the gaps or lack of clarity and communication are impeding one’s success.These unbiased reflections help one to develop the inner commitment and character required to be successful in this rapidly changing world.

Not even a ropes course offers such unique reflections and insights into where we are being effective or ineffective. Through interactive exercises with horses, teams can refine their goals and practice more effective ways of leading. Being outside in a more kinesthetic, spatial environment (distinct from a hotel meeting room) provides a unique way of opening one’s imagination and re-connecting to one’s purpose.

No riding experience is required. In fact we do not actually ride the horses in the program.

Topics of Program

The Leadership & Horses™ program can be focused on developing each individual’s Leadership Style and/or on building your team’s vision, communication, coordination, roles and responsibilities. Specific themes directly relevant to your team or group of leaders can be custom designed into the program. Some common topics include:

• Develop each leader’s style and unique contribution to the whole
• Create a sense of meaning and purpose at work
• Refine team goals and encourage team alignment
• Improve communication and coordination practices
• Nourish creativity and new ways of thinking
• Increase customer satisfaction (internally and externally)
• Develop accountability and collaborative action
• Build team spirit and possibility
• Honor emotional intelligence and nonverbal communication skills
• Enhance project cycles and feedback loops
• Reveal the power of focusing on results
• Develop trust and team alignment
• Creating new strategies for success and fulfillment

Recent Clients include:

• UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
• Institute for Women’s Leadership
• Genentech
• Leadership USA
• Visa Credit Card
• Nike
• Pfizer
• Cisco Systems
• Hewlett-Packard
• Proctor & Gamble
• Apple
• Agilent
• Menlo Ventures
• Enterprise Design
• PSI Seminars
• Alta Mira

What do horses have to do with leadership?

For centuries the training of one’s horse was about creating a team that moved as one, where clear communication was invisible and the team’s actions were fluid and concise. Working with horses challenges our outdated notions of leadership and reveals the more fluid, changing and creative process of leading. They show us the significance of  body language in communication and when we there are gaps in where we think we are headed and how we are actually trying to get there.
Because of their social, hierarchal nature, they insist on knowing ‘who’ is leading each step of the way. They do not care about our title of authority or our high IQ. They are inspired to follow when we are clear about our goals, committed to results, and are willing to negotiate along the way. In Leadership & Horses™, the horses become a metaphor for how you are leading your life and work. They can be resentful employees or inspired performers. It becomes our choice to decide how we want to lead.

How Many Days Should the Program Be?

Two to three days is ideal because it gives the participants time to reflect overnight and come back the next day for more learning, insight, and integration. And we offer many one day programs as well.

Can you include other team and leadership topics and issues?

YES. We have a staff of skilled leadership coaches and additional collaborative partners who can offer additional topics and facilitation to the Leadership & Horses™ component.

What is the cost?

Please contact us for details on the cost of a program that suits your needs. At our location in Sonoma County, California, horses and facility are provided at no additional cost. We provide tea and continental breakfast, and can also offer lunch and/or an evening BBQ. We also offer some onsite lodging and there are numerous other accommodations and dining options close by.

How many people do you need?

We can accommodate any size group. A good minimum number of participants is 6-12. If your group is over 15 participants there may be an additional charge depending on size and other parameters of the program.

Is this program seasonal or can I schedule any time of the year?

In California, whether the program is at our facility or another, season is not an issue.

Scheduling a Program

Let’s set up a free consultation to establish your goals and criteria for success for your Leadership & Horses™ program. During this conversation we can determine who your participants will be and what you would like to accomplish. Based on this conversation we can determine the specific topics you would like to have covered. The most important next step is determining a date and location for the program. We look forward to designing a program for you and your team that will help you excel into the future of your business.