We seem to come together in a united and committed way only when there is a crisis. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could draw upon this same kind of shared “All in” focus without the crisis? There are integral leaders who seem able to do this. They easily generate our trust and willingness to follow and work alongside them. At home with who they are, they do this effortlessly and authentically, content with being present to what is. When in their presence, we feel we are the only ones who matter to them in that moment. They know the path toward engendering trust and connecting with others lies in our heart.

Horses have a unique ability to guide us toward an open heart and deep connection with ourselves and others. As herd animals, horses have been deeply tuned in to each other, their surroundings and the energy of other animal species around them for thousands of years. Horses inspire and move us to feel our hearts, our power and our authentic presence. When we are congruent in mind and body our decision-making is clean, responsive and wise. From this authentic place, resilience and agile leadership emerge. Horses live in this space and join us there when we do, too! Coaching is available in 2-3 hour sessions, and can be combined with longer term coaching packages with or without the Leadership Circle 360 package.

As a leader you will gain …

• Greater ability to build trust and cooperation
• Insight into your leadership presence and voice
• First hand experience moving horses — and other impossible challenges — with greater ease
• Greater awareness of and access to using your body, emotions and thoughts in more creative, less reactive ways
• Freedom from self limiting beliefs and a greater access to your powerful and authentic Self
• Personal liberation, freedom and lightness of being for your self and those whose life you influence

Build trust and cooperation … and move the impossible.

We’ve grown tired of personal development books and programs that don’t develop. They remind us of going into a restaurant wanting a real meal and leaving with only table scraps. Espíritu staff model and teach a mind-body approach to our coaching work. Horses themselves have a finely tuned sensory and intuitive capacity, perhaps more so than any other land animal, including humans. They are alert both to other beings around them, including us, and to the inner emotional state of these other beings. Horses are acoustic animals; they feel the vibrations of our thoughts, feelings and intentions. When we are congruent (aware of how we feel and think) and authentic ( our feelings and intentions align with our action and words) horses naturally join us. They accept our leadership because we are no longer a threat to them. When we are not congruent, when our inner experience does not align with what we say and do, horses know this too and are quick to let us know.

Gain a deeper capacity for real connection and partnership.

Fortunately, horses have the ability, however, to evoke in us those places where we may not yet be congruent, while showing us how to become more inwardly aligned and present. They are equine tuning forks! All of our individual coaching programs include time with horses plus practices designed to help us become more horse like (listening more deeply to our body sensations and wisdom). Some programs also include extended, follow-up coaching calls after horses sessions have ended. The bottom line? The learning is deep, visceral and lasting.

This Coaching with Horses program invites us to explore, practice and play with this way of listening and sensing the subtle energy of our emotions, thoughts and intentions. Join us, and our herd of horses, to learn how to open to the practical power, wisdom and compassion of your heart.

As a curious individual learner, you’ll leave with …

• Greater access to who you really are as you access your authenticity and become more real
• Deeper listening to your heart and body which brings greater mind-body awareness to your decisions, your relationships, and your life
• Greater emotional agility and resilience
• Greater intuition, confidence and self trust
• A deeper capacity for real connection and partnership
• A blueprint for finding and taking your place in your part of the world
• Some of the sacred mystery of your own life, which horses see and you don’t

The quality of an organization’s collective leadership directly impacts its performance and outcomes. For better or worse. Too often, teams become satisfied with small victories and incremental growth. They become overly reactive and collectively less smart than their individual members! Meetings are called to fix what is wrong. Ironically, the more we fix small problems the smaller we ourselves become. What goes missing is a larger vision of what’s possible, a future state that inspires us to stretch beyond the small reactive ways we move each day into something more grand, something we give a damn about. Horses have something to say to us about this common dynamic.

Few of us have witnessed a herd of horses galloping across a field. For those who have, few are able to resist the temptation to stop what we are doing and just observe. There is something mesmerizing about their strength, their grace and beauty. As herd animals, horses have survived thousands of years by developing a deep awareness of each other and a capacity to sustain harmony among herd members even in the face of threats from predators. They act quickly to respond to threats and when the threat is over they quickly return to peaceful existence. Unlike many of us, horses do not carry anger, bitterness and mistrust forward. Conflicts, issues of inclusion and exclusion, questions about their place in the herd, priority setting, recognition and acceptance are all handled quickly and with much greater elegance and ease than most teams can even approach. No experience is wasted. Everything matters. There is no posturing or game playing. They seek truth in us. Standing beside them can itself be a surprisingly joyful experience, as if something essential has awakened in us.

People can learn much from horses, who are uniquely prepared to teach us a different approach to power and purpose, authenticity, teamwork, trust and leadership. As teams become more self-aware, they begin to self correct and self organize in powerful ways. Just as a herd of horses responds quickly and effectively to a potential threat or opportunity, a team of humans who can collectively access both heart and mind can respond similarly. This program is tailored to the needs of individual teams in consultation with our staff. Programs last 1 to 3 days and include instruction, times for reflection and dialogue and, of course, time with horses. Team coaching can also be combined with on-going individual coaching.

As a committed team member, you’ll learn …

• An entirely new yet pragmatic approach to building trust, alignment and shared interests in a fun and dynamic setting
• Which approaches to communication and direction setting work and don’t work and how to adjust quickly and effectively to get the outcomes you want
• Vulnerability, experimentation, trust and teamwork all seem to move together as an integrated whole. You’ll learn from horses how to experience these vital aspects of organizational performance and deepen your ability to foster these qualities in each other.
• Horses, like people and teams, respond better when they experience us as seeing, respecting and being honest with them. You’ll enjoy a crash course in how to deepen and sharpen your ability to see, hear and respect each other in ways that may surprise you while bringing greater alignment to your team.

Encounter a different approach to power and purpose, authenticity, teamwork, trust and leadership.