The trainer leans, arms folded on the top rail of the corral, foot propped on a lower rail, watching, watching as the horse trots in unbridled freedom. He squints in concentration, watching his subject move, feint, and toss its head. He takes in the physical stamina of 1100 pounds of muscle, reads the animal's temperament from its body language, studies its eyes as it notices him.

Later in the arena where the training will happen, these clues, and many others, will form a foundation the trainer will use to forge a relationship with the horse. Observing this process is like watching a miracle. These two do not share a common language; yet in a few minutes the horse will approach the trainer and wait for him to become the leader. The trainer brings about this "miracle" not through coercion, but through understanding the horse's mind, and using the subtlest persuasion to alleviate his natural instinct to flee from a predator.

Imagine yourself as a horse trainer. Before a horse even enters your arena, you've seen its great potential and you have a vision of what the horse can become. Stand in the center of the arena, letting the horse move freely in circles around you. Observe the horse carefully, starting with the reality of the facts of what you see about the horse. Have no illusions that the horse's natural instinct is to flee. Motivated by the ethics of service to your subject, approach him from a desire to develop his potential. Then have the courage to sustain your initiative, to stand at the center of the arena while the horse, powerful in his own right, gallops around you, sometimes bucking and kicking or even charging through the center of the arena. When the horse tires of being alone and senses your desire to help him, he will give subtle cues that say "I want you to take the lead in the relationship." And you do.

The horse trainer metaphor is wonderfully accurate for 21st century leaders who, in order to survive and flourish, must find innovative ways to reinvent their businesses. But the re-invention of our business requires a reinvention of ourselves, a transformation of our thinking as leaders. According to Peter Koestenbaum-- internationally known philosopher and business consultant (and Pepperdine visiting professor), "there are four principle ways of expressing leadership greatness in thought and action." These four principles are:

• Vision
• Reality
• Ethics
• Courage

You know, great trainers don't break horses, they develop them. Great leaders don't break people's spirits, they lift spirits. Perhaps it's time we put "horse sense" to work in our business and personal lives. The tenets are familiar, some deep inner wisdom we've known for some time. The pay-off of re-inventing ourselves in the image of the horse trainer who demonstrates leadership greatness is direct and simple: we can grow individuals, teams, organizations, and therefore profits…naturally.

Sometimes I wonder which of us is the trainer, and which is the one being trained. Feel free to use this article in your publication or web site, or forward it to a friend. The only requirement is the inclusion of the following statement:

Article written by Laura Hauser, founder of Leadership Strategies International--a change management consulting and training firm. She is available for conference engagements and consultations about how to significantly increase your business and personal success.
Contact information: laura@lsiltd.com www.lsiltd.com 661-251-0641 Copyright 2000 Laura Hauser