I met Kendall Hurt, Owner of the Meadowlark Shop, on April 21st, 2021 at the reception for the WILMA Leadership Institute. Kendall had come to greet the class of 2021 after their opening day at Double Run Farm with TeachingHorse. As she tells it, listening to people talk about their experiences with the horses and how powerful it was for them made her want to have the experience for herself and her team. And true to form, Kendall made that happen this week.
 
As we talked about what she wanted to get out of the session, Kendall’s intention was clear. Her goals were to celebrate her team for all they have endured and accomplished through the pandemic and energize them for the road ahead. Kendall wanted the experience with the horses to help them advance what they could accomplish as a team.

I listened to Kendall’s team, Terry, Lynn, and Juliana, tell me about their lives and curiosities for the day. What I learned through that conversation was that Kendall had surrounded herself with a herd of wise women with the life and leadership experiences that will be priceless in helping her navigate growth. She also has an emerging leader with the energy, bravery, humility, and kindness to offer innovative ideas. Wow! What a team!

Now it was time to see what the horses had to say. The day was full of the unexpected provided by Mother Nature herself. This team of women was so committed to the experience that nothing phased them. Yani and Grace would be their teachers today. The goal was for the team to guide the horses on a chosen path through the arena and arrive at a destination representing their vision for success. 

Once the path was clear, Kendall was off to the races at a quick pace. Within seconds, there was a great distance between her and her team. I called time out and said, “Kendall, what do you see?” She said, “My team is way back there with the horse.” She let out a big exhale and said, “I got so focused on the goal I forgot I had them to help me get there.” In that moment, everything changed. Kendall set a pace for the next phase of the journey that leveraged the strengths of her team. Her team stepped up to use their voices to guide her and offer suggestions for how to adjust in the moment.
 
Then the final test was in front of them, changing the direction of Yani and Grace to arrive at their selected destination. Kendall fiercely focused on where she was going with conviction, and the team positioned themselves perfectly to guide Yani and Grace to follow her. It was a sight to behold! As the horses have taught me so many times, it does not have to be lonely at the top. Find your herd.


June Gunter, Ed.D., is the Co-Founder and CEO of TeachingHorse, LLC. Established in 2004, TeachingHorse offers a unique approach to leadership development that is inspired by how horses lead their herds. Our mission is to bring horses and people together to discover more effective ways of leading that create healthy communities. TeachingHorse has worked with over 5,000 leaders from around the world to develop skills required for moving confidently through uncertainty. June has worked in the field of leadership and organization development for over 35 years and holds a Doctor of Education degree in the field of Adult Learning from North Carolina State University. She is also the Co-Founder of Go-od Consulting, LLC.