EQUUS

This month we will be sharing a series on Assertiveness for Life and Leadership. It kicked off yesterday by introducing our totem, the buffalo.  Each week we'll be sharing a personal anecdote, along with tips and additional resources on the topic.   The venerable buffalo is our animal guide and inspiration for Assertiveness for Life and Leadership. The buffalo is what is known as a “keystone species”, meaning that they have a disproportionately large and positive effect on their environment relative to their abundance. Keystone species play a critical role in maintaining the wellbeing of an entire ecology.    A little known truth about buffalo is that they turn, face and run towards the storm. Thus, they are able to get through it more quickly, and minimize their exposure to the most dangerous parts.    How would things be different for you if you turned and faced your own storms head on?    What if, instead of avoiding the winds and rains, you walked right into them, trusting you had the skills necessary to prevail?  You can read the first email in the series here: https://lnkd.in/gdVFkKKS I will also be co-leading a discussion on assertiveness, over-functioning, and boundaries with EQUUS Faculty member Adam Ramcharan on August 15 from 12-1pm MT. We'd love to have you join us. Register for the chat here: https://lnkd.in/gs6RcNCK If you'd like to receive emails from this series, you can subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/gFXxXNZz

We are culturally conditioned to narrowly define the act of leading within domination concepts: being on top, being the boss, being in control, and holding power over others. We were taught these concepts by a dominance system and belief structure, and not by true leadership itself. In fact, the horse herd shows us that leadership is about love, connection, caring for the whole, service, and well-being. It is not a power over, but a power with dynamic. Through this expanded—and all together more accurate—definition of leader, you may recognize that you have this innate capacity within your family, your community, your relationships, and your own selfhood—therefore, you are a leader. Today we suffer a crisis in leadership across all sectors. Absent any evidence-based definition of what leadership truly is, and operating under an assumed dominance belief-structure, throughout history we’ve appointed and elected leaders who are not actually leaders at all. It’s no wonder we find ourselves in the current state of affairs. In fact, if we tossed these so-called leaders into a herd of wild horses, chances are the mares would quickly and fiercely send them away until they could behave. Like our colorful, badly-behaving leaders in the public arena, gladiator stallions have received lots of attention because they are flamboyant and dramatic. Human leadership qualities have been attributed to their dominant and brutish ways. But showy stallions are not the leaders of the herd. They have a specific role to play in specific circumstances, but it’s not in overseeing daily governance. In fact, the lead mare or mares will see to it that a delinquent stallion is exiled from the herd until he can participate inside the clan with good manners. Through this elegant ecosystem of safety, peace, connection, freedom, and joy—maintained by care and presence—a dynamic democracy ensues. The other herd members are constantly, moment by moment, testing their leader’s ability—does she still care? Is she still present? If for some reason, due to illness, wounding, or age, she should show up less than present, or not able to care, a new leader would take her place. But not with a clashing of hooves and gnashing of teeth. Instead, with an acceptance of giving and receiving care. Out of care for the outgoing leadership (who now needs care), and care for the whole herd, a new horse assumes authority. What comes to mind when you read about this style of leadership? Does it resonate with you? How would life be different if you worked for something who embodied what the leader of horse herd embodies? #wisdom #thrive #thriving #peace #connection #safety #freedom #joy #equus #leader #leadership #presence #care #learning #horses #culture #care #presence 

Kelly's latest Essay: Getting Clear – the Radical Choice to Wake Up in a Culture Obsessed with Numbing, is out now. Here is an excerpt: "When I was a young girl learning how to ride, almost consistently I was admonished to ‘not let the horse know I was afraid’. Supposedly my emotion would set the horse alight with terror, or perhaps worse, said horse, upon feeling my fear, would conspire to manipulate or hurt me in some deviant way. As aspiring young cowgirls and -boys, we were taught to hide our feelings, bypass our emotions. Perhaps nowhere is the projection of a disconnected society more obvious than in this conventional ‘wisdom’ of the equestrian world passed down from generation to generation of riders. Let’s be clear before I move on:  horses are not afraid of fear, nor are they poising to mess you up through your vulnerabilities. In fact, it is not our fear that worries a horse, but our masking. It’s the incongruence that creates the problem. This cowboy-speak is indicative of ways we project false notions about life in general––in so many assumptions and narratives perpetuated through the folklore of contemporary culture. We are taught to disconnect from our bodies, not show our feelings, present a façade to get what we want, for example, success, or love. We are told how to act, feel, and think in order to conform to a system that works best if we all walk lock-step within certain guidelines intolerant of uniqueness and diversity. Living inside such a system makes us anxious, sick and fragile. It’s a system that holds us to unattainable perfection, unbearable pressures, and blames those who cannot, or will not, comply. Every time we contort ourselves or cut off a limb to fit into the square hole, it costs us. We tell ourselves it’s not that bad, or this is just the way things are. Or we blame ourselves for not adapting better. Something must be wrong with me, we reason. To endure the daily cognitive dissonance, we numb and self-medicate through imbibing the myriad substances available to us––alcohol, social media, drama, worry, pills, the news, shopping, or unhinged self-improvement. Read the rest of the essay here: https://lnkd.in/gdNQynKh #wisdom #essay #writer #equus #leader #leadership #gettingclear #safety #connection #peace #freedom #joy #care #presence #coach #coaching

This idea of core cultural pillars is not something widely known, but one that I believe is accurate. It comes not only from decades of daily engagement with horses, but through the lens of connection that I was taught by two of my teachers; Kabada and Uncle Bob. Most of us imagine a herd of horses led by a brutish, overbearing stallion using command and control tactics to rule his harem of mares. In fact, horse bands are governed by quite the opposite. The leadership position is usually assumed by a mare or a team of mares. In domestic settings, where stallions are kept separate from the herd, leadership is sometimes assumed by a quiet, caring gelding (a castrated male) in the absence of mares. The leader is the one who is not the mightiest or the most domineering, but who cares the most—a true definition of servant leadership. I want to assert that this is not about romanticizing horses; the horse culture is in no way infallible or idyllic. Like people and societies, every horse and herd is different. There are herds led by obnoxious dictators and horses too traumatized to connect. But their cultural premise remains, especially within healthy environments, and it teaches us to redefine how we think about systemic wellbeing and about the words leader and leadership. What do you think? What comes to mind when you think of the words leader and leadership? #wisdom #thrive #thriving #peace #connection #safety #freedom #joy #equus #leader #leadership #presence #care #learning #horses #culture #care #presence #leader #leadership #herd

Why take our Wisdom of Thriving course? You are seeking personal growth and self-discovery through a unique, immersive experience. You are a leader or potential leader who aims to enhance their leadership skills and influence innovatively. You are yearning to thrive in all aspects of your life based on a foundation of ancient and practical wisdom. You are looking to instigate a shift in your worldview and incite profound changes in your lifestyle and interactions. Our Early Bird pricing has been extended until July 30th. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ghapKhdM hashtag #wisdom #thriving #equus #flyingleadchange #nature #horses #learning #leadership #yearning

This goes beyond changing habits; it's a profound transformation at your core—how you live, evolve, lead, and live authentically and robustly. As this year unfolds, summon the courage to step beyond your comfort zone, explore the unknown, and delve deeper into your multifaceted self. Release past versions of yourself, allowing a new you to emerge—guided by wisdom, courage, and unwavering faith in your potential. These times call for a new way of being. EQUUS offers a new philosophy that embodies multiple modalities, including indigenous wisdom, regenerative theory, kincentric experience, and nature-based learning. Change isn't just about actions; it's an evolution of who you are. Every interaction becomes an opportunity to reflect, learn, and thrive. Your call to action: The Wisdom of Thriving, a course poised to reshape your life. Drawing insights from the book Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living, we invite you on a transformative journey with EQUUS. Enroll here: https://lnkd.in/ghapKhdM #wisdom #thrive #thriving #peace #connection #safety #freedom #joy #equus #leader #leadership #presence #care #learning

When you are called, you are asked to listen. Before we learn about a sacred, ancient system to guide us, we must first know how to truly hear—not to words and paragraphs, but to the silence inside moments. As if walking into the quiet of a snow-blanketed forest, we enter into a stillness of mind, a hibernation of ego, that allows the subtler voices of wisdom to speak to us while other, louder faculties lie dormant. When we truly listen, we suspend what we think we know. We cease resorting to a world rationally constructed of our past experience and instead pause over the infinite possibility granted by not-knowing. Here is where true change begins. Are you feeling called to change? To transform? Join us in The Wisdom of Thriving. Visit the EQUUS Academy to register. https://lnkd.in/gQc75Nyy #wisdom #thrive #thriving #equus #learn #learning #mindset #change #leadership #leaders #learn #learners #peace #safety #connection #freedom #joy

Did you know that horses elegantly organize themselves around seven principles: care, presence, safety, connection, peace, freedom, and joy? These principles assured their survival for millions of years, making them among the oldest and therefore most successful mammals on earth (only the echidna and platypus have them beat at about 100 million years). Horses are highly relational to humans (unlike the platypus and echidna), making them consummate teachers of their ageless wisdom. When we are in their midst we become a part of the herd, and it therefore is incumbent upon them to teach us these principles. In our upcoming course, The Wisdom of Thriving. We apply these principles as weekly lessons. We learn not just from the horse, but from other nature based principles and systems too. This course is for anyone who senses there is something more out there for them. For those who yearn for something deeper. We welcome you to join us. Our pricing increases after July 21st, so now is a great time to sign up. Details can be found by visiting The EQUUS Academy https://lnkd.in/grx6whNg #horses #equus #learning #leadership #wisdom #thrive #safety #connection #peace #freedom #joy #flyingleadchange #course

What exactly is a flying lead change? As the horse gallops up a ridgeline, suddenly the topography changes, and the herd of cattle makes an abrupt shift. In response, the horse effortlessly executes what is known as a flying lead change—a gravity-defying maneuver that allows them to change balance and respond to the changing scenario without losing momentum or unseating their rider. Like this, horses have been our partner in successfully navigating change for thousands of years—the perfect power couple. This is an excerpt from Kelly's book Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living. We can learn so much from these ancient teachers. We would love to teach you in our upcoming course, the Wisdom of Thriving. Which captures leadership principles for you to learn and implement into your own life. Visit www.theequusacademy.org to learn more #course #courses #horses #equus #leadership #wisdom #thrive #thriving #flyingleadchange #nature

Are you a business leader who wants to apply more nature based wisdom to your business or team? Do you sense something calling you? Do you want to do something powerfully life-giving for yourself? At EQUUS, we believe our courses feel like callings to those who are meant to take them. If you are a lifelong learner, business leader, visionary, creative, or entrepreneur on a quest to live and lead better, our courses are designed to expand your heart and elevate your wisdom and leadership. The Wisdom of Thriving is an entry point to explore the widely respected pedagogy of EQUUS, learning from a 56-million-year-old system of resilience and ancient knowledge. visit www.theequusacademy.org to register for our upcoming Wisdom of Thriving Course. Early bird pricing is happening now until July 21st. #leadership #wisdom #equus #learning #visionary #entrepreneurs