What cattle and horses teach about influencing teams and customers

Have you ever experienced that leader that seems to get things moving in the desired direction without making obvious efforts? They make it look easy.

Leadership involves many dynamics, one of which is influence.

Google defines influence as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. I would take this a step further by adding “without obvious exertion of energy.”

Have you found yourself worn out in your efforts to get the results you want or unsure how to get teams flying in formation?

Here’s the thing: leadership has changed in recent years. Why? There is a lot of noise out in the business world right now about what employees want and it doesn’t match how things used to be in business. You know, hire an employee, point them in the direction you want them to go and get things done.

In thinking about this whole dynamic, I am reminded of the time in my life when I found much fun in working with cattle. My early adult life was spent learning to treat animals as a registered veterinary technician. I worked at a clinic in a rural area and we saw a lot of large animals, like cattle and horses. We always worked on them from the ground. It wasn’t until a little later in life that I learned to move cattle from horseback.

Cattle need to be kept calm in moving from point A to point B. If you’ve ever watched an old western, like Rawhide, it looks so easy. (My age is showing here.) Ride your horse along side the cattle and mosey on down the trail.

It takes much more than that. Any fast and sudden movement on your part, can cause a derailment fast and in a hurry. The energy of the people in a cattle drive matters. If you are excited, nervous or get in a hurry – the horses with riders and the cattle feel that and things can become difficult.

For example, my horse and I went to recover a herd that had broke through the fence on a neighbor’s property on one occasion. A bunch of us saddled up our cow horses and took off. When we came up on the herd, the riders that had not been taught to move cattle began to speed up their horses as they approached the herd.

Can you guess what happened?

They were running all around the herd and making big overtures around the herd. They would push the herd to a hard right and then a hard left and mayhem ensued. Things were going in a zig zag and the horses were having to work way too hard - when what we needed was a flow of seamless movement.

Ever experience this in your company - Feeling like your team is not performing or working too hard to get results? The dynamic of gaining clients requires influence as well. How your team engages your market matters too.

What happened with the cattle movement? I signaled for the riders to come back to the position I was holding and held a conversation about how little pressure and energy it actually takes to move the herd. When we positioned the riders properly, on each side of the herd and behind, leaving an opening in the direction we wanted them to go – flow happened. The herd moved seamlessly and effortlessly toward home and back through the hole in the fence they had previously came through.

The most subtle of movement from the horses can have a huge impact. This is particularly true the closer you get to the cattle. The slightest shift in the position of the horses head or your own body can impact what cattle do.

The point here: It takes very little energy and pressure to cause movement in a herd of cattle. Greater results – less effort.

The same is true of people, whether they are working in your company or a potential client.

Think about the simplicity of influence in leadership.

1.      Create an opening in the direction you want outcomes and results to happen.

2.      Clearly communicate the intention of the movement to the key people so they can convey the message all the way through the             teams. Make sure your message to potential clients is clear so they are flowing toward you.

3.      Take the first step confidently focused in the direction you wish to go.

4.      If things go awry, take a deep calming breath and pause the action to course correct.

Consider these steps in becoming the influencer in your company:

The first step for you as a leader to move into powerful influential leadership is to raise your awareness. Awareness of how and what you are communicating. 95% of communication is non-verbal. In moving cattle, all the communication is non-verbal.

The second step is to bring the awareness of your key leaders to an understanding of what they are communicating, both verbally and  non-verbally that may be causing a lack of results and outcomes.

Finally, evaluate the energy that is rippling through your organization. It matters. The energy is influencing your people all the way down to your customers.

My team and I would love to help you with this. Help you increase revenue, lead teams with ease and experience more freedom.
 
 

The next 48 Hour Money Breakthrough™ is coming September 28 & 29. Learn to influence your team, time, money, and clients by increasing and managing your energy in key areas.

Learn more here: www.48HourMoneyBreakthrough.com