Agility in the face of Uncertainty

by | May 27, 2025 | Leadership, Shared Leadership, Teamwork, Women in Leadership

Agile learners

Based on the insightful article, “How to Become an Agile Learner”, from the Harvard Business Review by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, it’s clear that mastering the three building blocks of agile learning: navigating newness, understanding others, and self-awareness, is crucial in today’s dynamic work environment​​. Equine assisted learning (EAL) activities intentionally designed to meet professional development objectives are gaining recognition as a unique and impactful method to bring to life these aspects of agile learning for leaders and their teams.

The article defines the three core building blocks of agile learning in summary as follows:

  1. Navigating Newness: Agile learners thrive in fresh, complex scenarios even without a blueprint, embracing the ambiguity as an opportunity rather than a barrier.
  2. Understanding Others: They excel at empathizing and anticipating varying perspectives, fostering a collaborative and open-minded approach to problem-solving.
  3. Self-awareness: With high levels of self-awareness, agile learners are proactive in seeking feedback and continuously curious, embodying a growth mindset​​.

Equine enhanced professional development activities enable participants to put these building blocks into practice and experience their impact first-hand and in real time:

  1. Navigating Newness: By interacting with horses in intentionally designed activities, leaders step into uncharted territory, which significantly enhances their comfort level with ambiguity and nurtures their ability to navigate through new situations.
  2. Understanding Others: The program enhances empathy and understanding of non-verbal communication through interaction with horses, and enhances verbal communication between the human participants, preparing individuals to better appreciate and engage with diverse perspectives in the workplace.
  3. Self-awareness: Equine enhanced activities prompt reflection and self-insight, fostering a heightened sense of self-awareness crucial for personal and professional development.

One of our clients from Bluefin Resources, sums up her experience with us as; “Horses thrive on clear direction, effective communication, and trust to navigate challenges and perform at their best. They also have an extraordinary ability to sense energy and assess their surroundings. As a leader, they’ll immediately pick up on your confidence and ability, or lack of! Trust me, you can’t make a 500kg horse move without taking charge, making them feel safe, and earning their trust. It’s all about authentic leadership in action, and I was amazed at how much this mirrors real world team dynamics.” Rebekah Crichton, Senior Divisional Manager & Executive Consultant – Change Management, HR, People Strategy, L&D & Organisational Design at Bluefin Resources.

Integrating equine assisted learning into your organisational training could be a step towards building a more agile, empathetic, and self-aware workforce, ready to thrive in the face of new challenges.