Riding a horse is an intentional act of leadership, the jockey being the leader and the horse being the follower, that starts with looking where you want to go. “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there,” – Yogi Berra. As a leader, the goal for any team must be well defined and communicated. A horse’s vision is such that it can see the rider on its back and with every step it takes it is looking to the rider for a reaction and direction. If you are unsure of your direction and constantly looking down at the horse, your horse is now the leader or worse: you frighten your horse and end up on the ground. Likewise, in business, communication between leaders and followers is often indirect and nonverbal; however, followers are always watching and learning from their superiors. A principle that I’ve learned riding horses that I instill in everything that I do is that ‘leaders don’t flinch.’ This simply means that leaders are accountable for their actions and losing composure as a leader will cause those who follow you to do the same.

I’ve learned that for communication to be effective, it must be consistent, confident, and reinforce the same message. Great horses, like great employees, can lose their drive due to bad experiences in the workplace. It is imperative to know the natural skills of your followers and to not punish good behaviors. It’s important when leading to make good behaviors good experiences and vice versa, acknowledging when something goes right or wrong and fostering an environment where doing the right thing is easier than doing the wrong thing.