Christina Toimela learns about leadership training using horses
When Julia Felton rocked into a Winning Women meeting at Stanmer House she was wearing a long leather coat and boots, cowboy style. She stood out from the crowd with “let’s-do-this” attitude. I overheard her talking about horses and business management and wondered what on earth linked the two.
I found out that Julia was the author of Unbridled Success – How The Secret Lives Of Horses Can Impact Your Leadership, Teamwork And Communication Skills.
When we started chatting, Julia said: “I spent 20 years working in London leaving home before 7am and coming back after 9pm doing a one hour, 45 minute commute each way. I used my business suit as an armour and did not have much of a life. Today I’m covered with horse s***.”
When Julia was made redundant from her position within a business unit hotel research in London she stopped being two different people and pursued her passion working with horses. She qualified as a Licensed HorseDream practitioner, NLP-coach, riding instructor and became aware that Horse Assisted Coaching existed. Julia is passionate about: “Grab The Reins, Lead Your Life, Lead Your Business.”
She wants to help overwhelmed and frustrated business owners. “People should look for new innovative ways and think like Albert Einstein who once said: ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’.”
“Horses mirror the essential qualities of leadership: trust, authenticity, honesty, intuition…”
What is Horse Assisted Coaching? According to Julia it’s a form of experimental learning where clients come and do a range of exercises with the horses in order to get feedback on their teamwork, leadership and communication styles. Rather than taking business people into a classrooms they learn things at the limbic (habitual) level by doing new things. Julia says that horses mirror the essential qualities of leadership: trust, authenticity, honesty, intuition, listening, a willingness of spirit and perseverance. They have no agenda with us and they read body language. They simply reflect our strength of character. Through becoming more self-aware we can then move forward to develop our own particular style of leadership.
How do horses help us to become more self-aware? Julia says that by getting continual feedback on how you are showing up in the world you become more self-aware. Horses are honest. If you are not in line with what you ask a horse to do, he is not going to respond.
Why should you be more authentic? Julia’s reply is inspiring: “The more authentic you are the more attractive you are to other people. Being true to yourself allows you to radiate a magnetic energy.
When everything that you do is on the same frequency, you come across as a real person. For example if you are really desperate to get a client you come across desperate and lose what I call – The Secret Energy of Business™.”
Do you know any people who have really inspired you in Brighton?
We’re not looking for celebrities. Not ordinary, but extraordinary.
Contact Christina: christina.toimela@gmail.com
