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While preparing to teach in an upcoming
experiential education workshop on Self Awareness, I decided
to clear my mind and to exercise myself and my yearling
horse named Dee. I sometimes do that by walking and jogging
her around the arena with her moving freely beside me. As we
circled 'round and 'round the arena, trying to keep a steady
connected pace with one another, we would lose IT and
suddenly get IT again. I define "IT" as the sure
connection that makes all things worthwhile and makes
leadership a quality and not a position.
In the position of manager or leader I may
be able to force many things to happen. While there are
times when this type of leadership approach may be
appropriate, it is my opinion that those times are few. If
indeed I really want to LEAD and if I want to achieve the
greatest results, then I must get that connection and work
to keep it, fleeting though it may be. As a leader, I need
to continually seek that flow between those I lead and
myself.
We walk, we jog and finally lope With
matching gaits we go Then just for a minute or two We are
connected and flow
We have the same intention Going the
identical direction Desiring like ambition
Just in an instant I get too far behind Now
you are afraid You think I am pushing you
I try to fix it So I speed up We again have
that rhythmic flow
It feels good It seems right We are of one
mind one sight
We are in sync No need to speak Equals you
and I
But wait, I'm now too far in front of you
You turn, you twirl You run and bound around
I keep going But you just stop What's the
direction, what's the Goal?
You are lost and adrift In a sea of
confusion Waiting for the fog to lift
The connecting place Is a fleeting space Of
this I must be aware
The place of connection and flow Is where
the heart needs to go Where leader and led are one
And both endeavor to reach That same finish
gate As equals, partners and allies
I learned from by little red mare, there is
a spot and a place where we connect and move as one. As it
is in life and leadership of all nature, but this place is a
fleeting moment in time. It is a balance and a rhythm one
moment in sync and the next not.
Too far behind and while my position of
power may allow me to force you to move on, with force we
have lost the flow. Without the flow we have lost true
connection and without connection we have lost the heart. It
is only with Heart that great things are achieved. If I want
Great vs. mediocre then my leadership must include your
heart.
Too far ahead and you get confused, like a
ship without a compass you do not know where to go. So you
either bounce around with great energy and no real direction
or you may stop and, either way, achieve nothing.
My goal then is clear. Rather than the
position, I want the qualities of leadership and those are
the qualities I want to inspire in others.
Copyright © 2004, Jean Starling
Jean Starling is a speaker,
consultant/coach with mastery in: Experiential Learning and
Relationship Management, Emotional Intelligence and
Leadership, with 20 years of corporate management,
consulting and training experience. She is founder of
http://www.EquinExperience.com, and http://www.TheSpiritOfLearning.com
promoting interaction with horses to develop human
communication skills. Contact jean@thespiritoflearning.com
or call 360-668-1954.
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