Developing the Confidence to Lead Effectively

Developing the Confidence to Lead Effectively

In just one session developing the confidence to lead…

 

I was lucky enough to catch up with a group of leaders who did my “emotional intelligence workshop” with horses and asked for feedback.  Their reflections where more powerful than I could have imagined.  Most importantly they reflecting on developing their confidence to lead effectively.  These are their own personal insights and what they learnt.

 

These were their reflections more than a month after they did just one session.

 

I realised that I am always jumping in and being first.  This didn’t allow me any additional time to observation to learn.  In trying to understand how to get it right and be the best at it that I didn’t try and be as present. My focus was on getting it right.  I have been practising patience and not rushing everything. 

It was understanding the vulnerability of a close connection and being present with myself.  I learnt how to be more self-aware of being present in the room.

left feeling focused and happy, with purpose and lowered the anxiety and the feeling has lasted

This made me think about how to influence the other decision makers so they get what’s going on.

Thoroughly enjoyed the session.  I had so much energy for days after the session it was so inspiring. 

Powerful and relatable, giving you the know how to deal with other people and your team

My confidence improved as a leader, I have done lots of thinking about the session afterwards and still got more days later because it influences how you lead.

Love it so much there were practical tips on what to do.  I could use straight away.  Being present and how you are feeling in the moment.  Made me understand how to relate your behaviours to moods.

Highly recommend it.  It gave me confidence – about being present and shifting my emotions.  I was able to apply the experience immediately and improved confidence

It’s a bio-feedback mechanism with a horse about your self-efficacy.  My learning from the session was I understood how to be up with intensity but with clear direction and focus.

I started with a fear of failure and feeling competitive.  My ego meant I didn’t want to be the person who couldn’t do it.  It was a new and different experience, I don’t have anything to do with horses so was intimidated and scared.  I felt vulnerable and way outside my comfort zone.  The connection I got was so refreshing and a great way to build a shared experience.  It was a completely new context to make the unconscious thoughts into a competence. 

It was feeling like a pressurised situation where you go to a feeling of threat and try to make it about me. But then learning how to make it not about me and about being in control.  The experience connected a lot of dots and good personal values.  Its things we should be working on every day and when you have mastered it in one situation doesn’t mean you have it secure.  

It is an effective coaching and leadership tool.  It improved my relationship with my daughter.  I become more self-aware of my behaviour towards her.  I have been making a conscious effect and our relationship has changed.

 

Insights and Changes in Emotional Intelligence

 

My insights where that everyone got something different out of the session and it all related back to improving their emotional intelligence.  The really interesting part was they could translate and put into action immediately.  It was about understanding that everyone has something different that they see and feel.  But it all relates back to the 5 key elements; Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social skills. 

 

I can’t wait to do this again.

Focus on what you want

Focus on what you want

Don’t…

Has anyone told you not to do something or not to behave a certain way and that is the one thing you are focusing on? Dieting is a great example for me.  Don’t eat sugar its bad for you.  So I am thinking all day about a packet of lollies and how I am not allowed to eat it. Guess what the first thing is I grab for when I am tired.  Or currently, because we are not allowed to travel, so I am thinking about all the amazing destinations and things I am missing out on.  I call it my FOMO (my fear of missing out).  COVID is certainly testing my FOMO.

 

I had my Aha! moment teaching someone to ride on the weekend and they were focusing on “the don’t”.  So when I asked “what are you thinking about?” and they responded, “I am thinking about not using my spurs”.  They could do that for about 6 or 7 strides and then they would be doing the precise thing that they were trying not to do.  “So, try replacing your don’t with a do.  Let’s try thinking about using our calf and upper thigh”.  It worked.

 

My inspiration came from listening to two podcasts only days apart about this exact thing from two different horsemen telling the exact same story just from their own point of view.  Warwick Schiller’s Performance Horsemanship and Double Dan Horsemanship told the story of the blue tree.  Don’t think about the Blue Tree – anyway the only thing you think about is the blue tree.  Highly recommend both of their podcasts, great storytellers.

 

Do…

 

When you fill your mind with what you want and the stronger you can make the visual the easier it is to do.  Try a vision and fill in the feelings, sights, sounds, and smells.  The clearer the image the easier it is to create that end result.  That is why sports psychologists talk about the visuals and a clear focus.  Visualise the ball going through the hoop no net.  If it works for elite athletes why can’t it work for you or me?

 

Our brains are wired to do only one thing at a time and when we create a mental picture they are brilliant at filling in the blanks and making it happen.

 

So I am going to practice focusing on what I want.  I am going to try and replace my don’ts with my do’s.

 

#horse #emotionalintelligence #inspired #doing #learning #ahamoment #horses #equineassistedcoaching #focus