08/15/2024

What Association Leaders Can Learn from Horses

Empathetic behaviors lead to improved trust

As an association CEO, I’m always on the lookout for experiences that will help my staff and me grow as individuals—personally and professionally—and as a team. In my 40-plus years in the for-profit, nonprofit and association spaces, I have seen plenty of opportunities for this type of learning, especially before the pandemic. I have tried all the old standbys: games, a book club, various exercises, rope courses, trust falls.

Now, in our post-pandemic world—where work may be fully remote or hybrid, and staff see each other more virtually than in person or are still adjusting to new rules of engagement with coworkers, members and other stakeholders—it’s more important than ever to find new and creative ways to connect as a team and grow as leaders.

Get in the Saddle

As association leaders, we are faced with unique challenges that demand our ability to recognize, understand and respond to others’ emotions while simultaneously managing our own. Successfully doing so requires strong emotional intelligence skills, but perhaps most importantly, empathy.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE’s Center for Association Leadership.