The Wisdom and Impact of Animals on Leadership Growth

By: Janine Davis

Animals are perfect mirrors of the energy leaders bring into communication and leadership. Want to know how you’re impacting your team and increase your self-awareness? Hang out with an animal. 

Why should animals inform our leadership journey?

Pack animals have to learn healthy team dynamics. They embody pure presence, along with an undeniable understanding of the interdependence of pack members. 

Most leaders approach leadership development through logic. We learn models, frameworks and techniques to manage and lead better, and we function through action. We implement frameworks, try different methods and attempt to follow best practices. Sometimes, results are great, but in times of stress, they’re superficial and unsustainable.

The natural world - animals, forests, seasons - provides extraordinary leadership lessons. We can access nature’s lessons in novel ways, which then creates new neural pathways - the launchpad of sustainable change and results.

Being present

“Presence” typically refers to being right here, right now. Our brain is wired to correlate and analyze what’s happening now with what happened in the past. If something looks, tastes, feels or smells like something that has happened before, our brain will default to an existing neural pathway’s reaction. And if the brain perceives a threat, it can risk-mitigate against it. 

Unlike humans, other animals do not need to “work” at presence. They simply are present; it is their primary state of being, and their survival depends on it. 

Pack and prey animals experience presence in different ways, yet both are highly attuned to energy. The energy you bring into encounters with pack and prey animals will be mirrored back to you. 

For example, if you approach a wolf with anxiety or incongruence between words and actions  they will typically shy away. Show up grounded and without ego, and they might come to you for affection. How you show up with wolves and the impact on them is probably how you show up and have impact on your team members. 

As prey animals, horses rely on sophisticated non-verbal communication. They have both binocular and monocular vision, allowing them to see ahead, as well as to see nearly 360 degrees. They are also extremely attuned to energy shifts amongst the herd. If one sees a predator, it will energetically transmit that to the rest of the herd. If they trust each other, they will immediately act in unison.

Trust

As with any healthy team dynamics, trust is the foundation. Horses build foundational trust through congruence, consistency and clear communication with each other. Energy and action must match. If you do coaching with a horse, you’ll note that if you say one thing, but do another, the horse may move away from you.  

Let’s say you’re feeling really stuck and a little depressed. But you tell your coach that you’re feeling excited and confident about inviting the horse to walk with you. When you start the walk, chances are the horse will stay put. It has no judgment about what you’re doing. It will simply tap into what’s happening in your internal landscape, and if something is not jiving with what you’re doing, it will steer clear. 

In comparison, if you internally own and outwardly state that you’re feeling stuck and depressed, but you’d like to invite the horse to walk with you, chances are it will be up for a stroll. 

The experiential aspect of these interactions with animals amplifies self-awareness. You’ll learn about who you are as a human and as a leader, how you impact your team and areas where you can find more congruence between words and actions.

What can animals teach us about high-functioning teams and healthy team dynamics?  

Nature provides myriad examples of healthy systems and teams. 

Biomimicry focuses on learning from and emulating nature’s forms, processes and ecosystems. Janine Beynus, who coined the term “biomimicry,” said that “life creates conditions conducive to life.” Nature approaches that aim in the most efficient, effective, energy-saving way possible. 

In the animal world, trust is reinforced by each “team member” knowing and filling its role. Each role matters. Horse herds have a lead mare and a lead stallion. The mare is usually in front of the herd, and the stallion takes up the rear. Both are intent on safely leading the herd to food and water. The rest of the herd utilizes the horses’ sense of sight, hearing and smell to pulse check their safety. If any horse senses danger, it can energetically and silently communicate that to the others. Each herd member knowing and embracing its role solidifies the foundation of trust amongst them. 

In the case of wolves, packs have equally critical roles: alphas, betas, omegas, nannies and trackers. Wolves use a model of circular leadership; the pack member whose function is needed most at any given time is the leader in that moment. If the pack needs food, the tracker might take the lead. If pack members need to regulate their nervous systems, a nanny might step in. There is an inherent appreciation and reliance on each pack member, which inexorably strengthens overall team dynamics.  

Let’s move to the Maasai Mara and consider the wildebeest and the zebra. They interact symbiotically, providing each species with greater security than each could have on its own. Wildebeests have very strong senses of smell and hearing, while zebras have strong eyesight. In addition, zebras act like lawn mowers, cutting down the grass to make it easier for the wildebeests to eat the shorter parts of the grass that they prefer. 

These animals have learned that by creating an alliance optimized to highlight each species’ individual skills, they all benefit. In human teams, we rarely take the time to truly understand each individual’s gifts with the intention of creating teams that capitalize on those gifts. 

Interested in experiences with animals? Evolution offers leadership programs with wolves, horses and in the magical Maasai Mara.