{"id":39897,"date":"2025-01-29T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T18:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39897"},"modified":"2025-02-03T07:27:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T15:27:02","slug":"leadership-learned-through-horsemanship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/leadership-learned-through-horsemanship\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership Learned through Horsemanship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I used to have a beautiful chestnut brown pony named Cupcake, with a vibrant star on her forehead and one white sock. She was a mix of a Quarter Horse and a Shetland Pony, perfectly sized for a scrawny kid like me. My mother, a single parent with a modest income, bought her for me when I was just 10 years old to fulfill a promise she made a year earlier. She promised to buy me a horse in exchange for my commitment to caring for our cat. Though she wasn\u2019t great at keeping secrets, she eventually let the news slip. I still vividly remember my birthday morning. Dressed in my cowgirl best, I paced the front yard until a pickup truck turned onto our street and into the driveway. There, I was handed the reins of my new horse! This blog will focus on two key leadership themes: breach of trust and followership.<\/p>\n

In her article Leadership and the Power of Influence<\/em>, author Karise Hutchinson asks, \u201cHow can leaders manage the power of influence in a strong and healthy way that brings others with them on the journey to achieve real and positive change?\u201d<\/em>[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Trust and Integrity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hutchinson emphasizes the importance of trust as a cornerstone of effective and sustainable leadership. She advocates for leaders who are not only competent but also empathetic, recognizing that trust is earned through actions, and integrity is maintained when one keeps their word. Trust can be easily broken, and once it is, it can be challenging to rebuild. Hutchinson warns that leaders who misuse their power risk harming both their followers and the integrity of the organizations they lead.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

A recent example of a breach of trust occurred during the devastating wildfires in California, which claimed more than 10 lives and destroyed over 10,000 homes.[3]<\/a> \u00a0Despite repeated warnings from environmental scientists and climate experts about the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires due to climate change, accusations arose that local and state governments failed to invest adequately in prevention and preparedness. As the fires devastated communities, many citizens felt betrayed by the government\u2019s lack of proactive action to protect lives and property. This erosion of trust is particularly challenging to repair in the age of widespread misinformation. The breach of trust caused by these failures can have long-lasting effects, especially as people become more skeptical of government actions in future crises.<\/p>\n

Followership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Followership, often overlooked in leadership discussions, is just as important\u2014if not more so\u2014than leadership itself. Effective leadership cannot exist without followership, and Jesus provides an exemplary model of followership. He demonstrated humility, obedience, trust, and alignment with a greater purpose. This idea resonates with Daniel Goleman\u2019s concept of emotional intelligence in leadership, where followership is vital to any leadership dynamic.[4]<\/a> Without followers, you cannot be a leader! From a Christian worldview, this means working toward the greater good and aligning with God\u2019s will to serve others in love.<\/p>\n

In Hutchinson\u2019s work, she also notes that society has moved away from the “great man” theory, which posits an all-powerful, infallible leader.[5]<\/a> Today, leadership models reflect the power found in influence rather than authority. One powerful example of leadership through influence is Nelson Mandela\u2019s fight against apartheid in South Africa. His leadership style was not rooted in traditional authority but in his moral character, commitment to equality, and ability to inspire others to join his cause. Despite being imprisoned for 27 years, Mandela\u2019s influence never waned. Upon his release, he did not respond with anger toward his oppressors, but instead, he used his influence to encourage peace and unity. Mandela\u2019s advocacy for forgiveness and his tireless work to bridge divides cultivated a shared purpose for a unified South Africa.<\/p>\n

His ability to lead through influence was deeply rooted in emotional intelligence\u2014his empathy, humility, and capacity to connect with people from all walks of life. Mandala\u2019s unwavering commitment to justice and equality inspired people around the globe, showing that leadership through influence can be far more powerful and sustainable than leadership rooted in control or authority.<\/p>\n

Integrity and Followership in Horsemanship<\/strong><\/p>\n

Integrity and followership also play a vital role in horsemanship. My relationship with Cupcake, my horse, was built on trust, mutual understanding, and respect. Horsemanship is an excellent example of leadership because it goes beyond physically managing a horse. It requires a deep trust connection between the animal and its handler. Like in human relationships, this bond is founded on integrity, trust, and consistency. A rider or handler must be trustworthy and compassionate, ensuring the horse feels secure and respected. Without these elements, any form of leadership\u2014whether with animals or people\u2014will struggle to succeed.<\/p>\n

Hutchinson\u2019s work highlights that trust, integrity, and the power of influence are essential in both leadership and followership. Leadership isn\u2019t about authority; it\u2019s about inspiring and guiding others with authenticity and respect. Whether in politics, social movements, or horsemanship, authentic leadership builds trust, demonstrates empathy, and leads through influence, not control.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> Hutchinson, Karise. \u201cLeadership and the Power of Influence.\u201d Illuminaire Institute<\/em> 1, no. 1 (January 12, 2025): 148. https:\/\/www.illuminaireleadership.com\/illuminaire-press-vol-1-digital<\/a>. P. 16<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid. P. 18.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Tanyos, Faris, Sarah Lynch Baldwin, Jordan Freiman, Brian Dakss, and Kerry Breen. \u201cLive Updates: Fire Crews in Los Angeles Brace for Winds as Destroyed Areas Not Safe Yet.\u201d Last modified January 12, 2025. Accessed January 12, 2025. https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/live-updates\/california-windstorm-fuels-pacific-palisades-wildfire-as-residents-flee-live-updates\/.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Goleman, Daniel, Richard E. Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence<\/em>. 10. anniversary ed. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press, 2013.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Hutchinson, Karise. \u201cLeadership and the Power of Influence.\u201d Illuminaire Institute<\/em> 1, no. 1 (January 12, 2025): 148. https:\/\/www.illuminaireleadership.com\/illuminaire-press-vol-1-digital.<\/p>\n

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I used to have a beautiful chestnut brown pony named Cupcake, with a vibrant star on her forehead and one white sock. She was a mix of a Quarter Horse and a Shetland Pony, perfectly sized for a scrawny kid like me. My mother, a single parent with a modest income, bought her for me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3395],"class_list":["post-39897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hutchinson-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/193"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39897"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40414,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39897\/revisions\/40414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}