What’s Mine and What’s Yours?

By Gretchen Fox Palmer, CEO of MTO Agency and Founder of Conscious Leadership Collective

Conscious Leaders,

Recognizing our own emotional content & the energetic frequency we bring to each interaction is a key component of a Conscious Leadership practice.

Emotions are contagious.

Can you remember a time when you were in a great mood and then someone angrily stormed into the room and you found your mood instantly changed, too?

Horses are perfect teachers for learning ‘What’s Mine and What’s Yours?’ because they give us instant biofeedback.

Once I went to the barn to ride my horse directly after a very intense and contentious meeting. I haltered Trigger and was walking him when he was being unusually fidgety and distracted. I told him to stop it a few times and then suddenly realized — Oh!! He’s responding to my energy!

I immediately stopped walking, shifted my attention to my body, and said to him, “So sorry! I just came from an intense meeting and I was very wound up when I arrived. But I’m so happy to be here with you now, this is my happy place.”

He immediately put his head down and walked like a gentleman and we had a great ride.

No, he didn’t understand my words but I went through a process of being honest about my emotions, about the underlying energy he was sensing under my smile. He was able to experience me coming into “congruence” emotionally. And to horses, congruency = safety & trust.

How often do we put on a happy face when we are stressed? How often do we try to “buck up” and go through the motions of leading meetings when we are dealing with something difficult?

People wear masks all the time – but being a conscious leader means taking off masks and being more honest and authentic in your leadership. And you’ll be amazed at how much people are craving emotional honesty in the workplace.

I can’t wait for our next Spring Retreat, where you will have the chance to be taught by horses in the equine-facilitated coaching experience. Horses don’t wear masks – they are 100% honest in their communications and will let you know immediately – are you being 100% honest with yourSELF?