Building trust is a crucial aspect of effective leadership, and it's something that can take time and effort to develop. Did you know horses can be wonderful teachers of trust building?
If you're a leader looking to learn how to build trust, here are three things you can do, and how horses might help you:
1. Communicate openly and honestly: One of the keys to building trust is being transparent and authentic in your communication with others.
This means being open about your thoughts, feelings, and intentions, and being willing to listen to the perspectives of others.
Equine guided education, which involves working with horses to learn about leadership and communication, can be a powerful tool for helping leaders develop these skills.
As Mary O'Brien, founder of Equine Experiential Education, explains, "horses are incredibly honest and present in the moment, and they provide immediate feedback on our communication and leadership skills."
2. Practice active listening: Another way to build trust is by showing that you value and respect the opinions and experiences of others. One way to do this is by practicing active listening, which involves fully engaging with the person speaking and demonstrating that you are listening and understanding what they are saying. Equine guided learning can be a great way to develop active listening skills, as horses are highly sensitive to subtle cues and will respond differently depending on how tuned in you are/are not.
3. Be consistent and reliable: Trust is built over time through consistent, reliable behavior. As a leader, it's important to follow through on your commitments and be dependable in your actions. Equine guided learning can help leaders learn about the importance of consistency and reliability, as horses are sensitive to changes in behavior and respond differently depending on how predictable and reliable their handlers are.
Ready to step into the arena to build these three leadership areas? By focusing on open communication, active listening, and consistency, leaders can take steps towards building trust with their team and creating a positive, supportive work environment.
Reach out to Sarah J. Bohnenkamp today to schedule your VIP equine guided leadership learning experience (sarah@sarahjbohnenkamp.com)!