Instinctive Leadership

Book excerpt: Leadership is tricky. Nothing is constant. Things change from day to day and moment to moment. Often, the best "tool" we have is a combination of our intention, based partly on the wisdom of our experience, and pure gut instincts. In my near 30 years as a corporate facilitator and leadership development coach and consultant, I've found the most effective leaders are those who can look deep inside themselves for their own "truths," and then courageously express those truths to colleagues, clients, and employees. But that's not easy, and many of us could use some help. I found my path to leadership through horses. Horses seem to personify the behaviors of successful leaders, and in their presence, we seem called upon to be our best selves. Sharing space with them somehow draws us inward to a place where we can strip away our masks in privacy and look upon our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, without filters. Through self-awareness, we can begin testing those insights when we feel ready and able. Over the years I have collected countless photographs of people and horses, which upon reflection, epitomize many of the insights I have experienced either for myself or seen through the eyes of leaders and teams with whom I have had the privilege to work. Within these pages, you'll find a collection of some of the most valuable leadership insights shared by clients like eBay, Amdocs, Teva, Avaya, HP, and more, and expressed through the behaviors of our little horse "herd." You'll laugh, and you'll learn, you'll smile, and you'll wonder. And then you'll want to head out to the nearest barn to experience it for yourself! "Nikki L. Kagan is a unique, experienced, and passionate facilitator who breathes and lives people's inner development both as leaders and as human beings. Her ability to build strong, trusting and lasting relationships with colleagues, customers and people in general, combined with the relationships she has forged with her horses, has led to a powerfully effective methodology. She brings people and horses together with a very gentle, sensitive and guiding approach, helping leaders step outside their comfort zone to learn about themselves through the horses' authentic eyes, and because horses never put on airs or masks, the self-reflection leaders engage in is one of the strongest I've ever experienced. Nikki compassionately takes leaders hand in hand with this magical encounter, to a newly expanded comfort zone where they can be introspective-analyzing their actions and learning about themselves. This special meeting with Nikki and the horses is one in which everyone should participate at some point in their lives-for an unforgettable experience and for the long-lasting impact it will create." Hagith Malul, Chief of Staff eBay Israel "I have known Nikki for many years now, first as a client and later, also as a friend. In our relationship as consultant and client, she has always been a true partner by taking an active role in identifying needs, designing an appropriate solution and delivering it in the most professional manner. Nikki is very open-minded and eager to learn more to further enhance her client offering even with her many years of experience coaching and facilitating team and leadership development processes. Her approach is always fresh and unique because she believes that to fully optimize any development processes, every groups' specific needs must be reflected. Participants in her sessions find it easy to engage and introspect in a way that results in meaningful and actionable outcomes, as evidenced by the consistently positive feedback she receives. Shirley Azouri, HRBP, Fortune 500 Company