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Me and Linda
Kohanov, best-selling author and
founder of
Eponaquest Worldwide
Photo Courtesy of Sara Fogan
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Nearly two weeks ago, I had the honor of attending a lecture and
day-long leadership workshop led by Linda
Kohanov, the best-selling author of Tao of Equus and founder of Eponaquest Worldwide. That weekend’s
presentation focused on the research and principles she described in her new
book titled The Five Roles of a Master Herder: A
Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent Leadership. I have long
been a fan of Ms. Kohanov’s writing and her equine-assisted therapy program,
but the information she shared with us about herd leadership and the
distinctive roles of an effective herd leader truly rocked my world.
Here is a brief summary of the ideal function/goals of each role, as
explained by Linda Kohanov in The Five
Roles of a Master Herder: A Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent
Leadership:
·
Leader: inspires group members to follow his or
her example to achieve goals.
·
Dominant: uses “force”—language, techniques,
emotion—to get group members to go/do what he or she is asking and stop
unproductive behavior
·
Nurturer/Companion: promotes/monitors well-being
of other group members
·
Sentinel: Scans the environment so other group
members can do their job; also looks for new opportunities for the herd to
succeed.
·
Predator: Uses dominant energy to stop/cut/cull unproductive/redundant
individuals from the group. Also, offers additional protection to group members
and can make tough decisions so the group can continue to survive/thrive.
During her presentation on July 30, 2016, Ms. Kohanov explained how she
developed the business-management model of Master Herders from her observations
of nomadic herding cultures. According to her observations and research, a
Master Herder is able to fluidly negotiate five different roles: Leader,
Dominant, Sentinel, Nurturer/Comforter and Predator. Furthermore, a true “master
herder” is adept at fluidly utilizing five functions whenever necessary to keep
his or her herd or group safe and succeed in various environments and situations.
This principle applies whether you are the CEO of a corporation or literally
caring for a herd of animals, even if that herd just a herd of two comprised of
you and your horse. In both cases, the role of a Master Herder is to keep the “herd”
safe as well as to continuously look out for opportunities for future and continued
growth and prospects, Ms. Kohanov said.
For example, sometimes the role is forced on you, such as when no one
else in the group wants or is willing to make important decisions and “lead” and
inspire colleagues to achieve company goals. In another instance, it may be up
to you to play the role of the “heavy” (dominant) and defuse professional
quarrels between co-workers or mete out punishment if a deadline is not met. If
you are particularly observant about business trends and economic growth or depression,
you might find yourself in the role of sentinel—always on the look-out for
potential danger or growth. At other times, you may find yourself in a
situation where you can barely meet your own expected work quotas because so
much of your time is spent reassuring or consoling (nurturer/companion) a
colleague who is having personal or professional difficulties. Finally, it may
fall to you to fire employees (predator) who do not fulfill work responsibilities.
We have all probably found ourselves in at least one of these roles in
our work-place. This model is also applicable in family and general social
contexts, such as a mother who comforts and reassures a toddler after scrapes
his knee on the playground. However, that role can quickly become dominant when
the youngster starts wandering toward the street and Mom shouts at him to stand
still before grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the curb and oncoming
traffic. And today, dressage Olympian Carl
Hester had to simultaneously employ several of these roles to handle his
horse when Nip Tuck spooked so they could salvage and successfully finish their
ride at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
I will explain how Hester successfully demonstrated his skills as a “master
herder” in my next blog.
Kohanov,
Linda. The Five Roles of a Master Herder:
A Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent Leadership. 2016. Novato,
CA: New World Library.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified
hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors
from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about
Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2016
