Empathy In Leadership
ON HORSES AND CLASSROOMS
Embarking from the concept of equine assisted coaching a Community Conversation on Empathy in Leadership was held on April 29, 2021 by the Trico Changemakers Studio at Mount Royal University. This conversation was co-hosted by Nicole Schaefer (PhD candidate and president of Spiegelbild Inc., which employs equine assisted coaching for personal and leadership development), Dr. Yasmin Dean (Associate Professor Social Work and Chair of the Department of Child Studies and Social Work), Audra Foggin (Assistant Professor of Social Work in the Department of Child Studies and Social Work, member of Frog Lake First Nation and a 60’s scoop survivor) and Dr. Katharine McGowan (Assistant Professor of Social Innovation, Bissett School of Business). The conversation aimed to explore the current importance of empathy in leadership, and more importantly, how empathy in leadership can and must be fostered in the future.
Can horses teach us about leadership, and more specifically about empathy in leadership? And: should horses be allowed in classrooms? The answer to both questions is clearly “yes.” At the risk of sounding like an overly enthusiastic 12-year-old, horse crazy girl from Calgary, I am convinced that horses need to be invited to classrooms - or rather, classrooms be invited to horses.
Horses rely on immediate feedback from their environment to survive. Although domesticated thousands of years ago their prey instincts are still very present and alive. This makes them talented teachers. Horses do not lie. They have the innate ability to reflect back what is going on around them. Horses respond honestly to how a person is showing up on both a physical and emotional level and provide in- the-moment feedback.
The topic of Empathy in Leadership encouraged a very rich conversation. Equine assisted coaching (or learning, as it is sometimes called) offers an experiential learning opportunity. Humans are paired with an equine partner and are coached through several activities. They learn about leadership competency, such as to use personal influence over authority, to anticipate change and adjust in the moment, and increasing self-awareness in relation to others. Asked about when and how they experienced empathy in leadership participants of the Community Conversation responded that being comfortable with vulnerability is a sign of courage.
However, it was agreed that in reality showing empathy might brand a leader as being weak, and possibly unworthy of that position or role. A lively conversation unfolded around concepts of leadership in the context of a capitalistic system with the predominant goal of short-term profit maximization. Is it possible to embrace empathy as an integral part of leadership and still adhere to deadlines and deliver outcomes? What can be the role of emotions in general, and empathy in particular when there are bureaucratic processes that have to be followed? And how can we move from agreeing on the concepts in theory to implementing them in practice?
To foster change, it might be necessary to break from existing management practices and embrace the value of empathy in leadership. Different cultures have developed unique concepts of leadership. It will be important to embrace these diverse world views and be open to create meaningful change in leadership. Lessons we can learn from those unique concepts reinforce the need to value people instead of solely addressing budget challenges through dollars and cents, and to make kindness and compassion integral parts of leadership. Siksika Nation Elder, Roy Bearchief, framed this the following way: “If you become a leader, the people you are responsible for are your children. Be an empathetic, not a pathetic leader.”(1)
Participants shared their ideas on where to take this conversation next. Our modern world has disconnected us from nature, and thus from ourselves. Horses can be powerful agents in rebuilding that connection, and realizing the potential of enhancing human capacities through nature. While equine assisted coaching for leadership and personal development still is considered an emerging educational concept, the evidence-based research base of the effects and impacts continues to grow. A study conducted by the University of Kentucky’s Center for Leadership Development in 2012 examined the effectiveness of equine guided leadership education to develop emotional intelligence in expert nurses. Although limited in the number of nurses that could be included in the study, data collected by the study shows that equine assisted coaching is effective at developing emotional intelligence competencies.(2)
Another study by the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Counselling, East Carolina University, North Carolina (2016) looked into addressing the needs of the Millennial workforce through equine assisted learning. The literature review offered the conclusion that common on-the-job training programs do not satisfy the demands of Millennial employees. These employees seek constant communication, and a coaching and mentoring relationship with their supervisors rather than a hierarchical one. Equine assisted coaching can offer an effective and efficient experiential learning space for teaching managers the skills needed in today’s corporate environment. In fact, the experiential training experience produces longer lasting and more effective results than simply listening or observing. More research is needed to demonstrate the long-term impacts and return on investment of this training concept.(3)
Participants of the Community Conversation on April 29, 2021 agreed that understanding how we can teach empathy is important in all areas, whether that’s the workplace, or educational institutions. To date, credible evidence of the effectiveness of equine assisted coaching in developing emotional intelligence in general, and empathy in leadership in particular is very limited. However, few academic studies have laid the necessary groundwork for subsequent studies. A follow-up Conversation to continue the momentum from April is planned for the second half of 2021.
Perhaps this is where the idea, bring an apple for your teacher was born?
NICOLE SCHAEFER
YASMIN DEAN
AUDRA FOGGIN
KATHARINE MCGOWAN
References:
(1) Siksika Nation Elder, Roy Bearchief, Trico Change Makers Studio Community Conversation, April 29, 2021
(2) Dyk, P., Cheung, R., Pohl, L., Noriega, C., Lindgreen, J. and Hayden, C. (2013), “The effectiveness of equine guided leadership education to develop emotional intelligence in expert nurses: a pilot research study”, available at :www.ca.uky.edu/cfd/research.php
(3) Meola, C. C. (2016), “Addressing the needs of the Millennial workforce through equine assisted learning”, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 294-303