You can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)

Leadership is straight from the Heart.

At one point I thought leadership was positional and title based, that you have to be a President, Monarch, Manager, Pastor or team captain for you to be considered a leader. That is partially true, because at one point or the other you are called to a place of leadership irrespective of what you do, for as long as you engage with people daily you need to have some leadership qualities. As John C. Maxwell affirms that; Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership.

It is never easy to lead people- especially young people- as they have their own minds and the world offers so much to them that ironically they are left confused. People will do what they have in their minds. You probably wondering; then what is the point of leading people who have their own minds? The answer is that their minds might be crammed up - by circumstances, experiences and environment- which obstruct them from realising their full potential and you have an opportunity to influence them otherwise so that they too may realise their worth.

This phrase you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink is one of the oldest English proverbs which was recorded as early as 1175 in Old English Homilie as follows:

Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drinken
[who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord?]

This proverb means; People, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do. You agree with this meaning right? I, too, agree with the meaning but you know that there are three sides to a coin- think about it - the heads, tails and the middle part. Okay you might not agree with me on the fact that a coin has three sides- either way that is not the point of this note- lets get back to you leading the horse. Here are my three possible sides to this proverb:

1. The statement is true; a horse will remain a horse and do what it has in mind.
2. Maybe the horse wasn’t thirsty.
3. The horse was thirsty but it was just being a horse and probably needed an appetiser (some sort of influence) to drink that water.

The first point of argument is straight forward and it is the ‘ultimate’ meaning after all, it is precisely true but that can be challenged. The second point of argument I think was never taken into consideration. Think about it- yes, horses, even though they are animals and have their own minds- why would it want to drink water if it is not thirsty.

The third point is the cream of the crop for me. I read an interesting story that sparked this point of argument on a website- http://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/h2o1.html- that deals with horse training. The story reads as follows:

One of our "new horse" boarders was working her Arab on a rather hot autumn day when she decided to take a break. She wanted to water her sweaty horse, but he was a picky sort and didn't want to drink from the bucket which he was offered. Undaunted, the boarder quartered an apple, tossed it in the bucket, and the horse immediately went to the bucket, picked out the apple slices, and drank the water.

This is an interesting horse and a very wise boarder- come to think of it- not even humans want to drink water for the sake of it- except the fact that it is healthy- it is tasteless. That’s why in 1886 a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Dr. John Stith Pemberton produced a syrup- out of curiosity- by stirring up a fragrant, caramel-coloured liquid and mixed it with carbonated water- at Jacobs' Pharmacy- produced what today is the worlds leading beverage, today boasting an average sale of 1.7 billion drinks per day from an average sale of nine drinks per day in its first year.

The horse boarder just like Dr. Pemberton had the ability to imagine beyond what the eye could see and that enabled them to influence the way the horse and world quenched their thirsts. I imagine that the horse boarder evaluated the situation while working with the horse- she studied the horse, connected with it and understood it- and learned that the horse was picky and stubborn; she instinctively created a need and changed the priorities of the horse by cutting the apple and tossing it into the bucket and yep the horse drank. She demonstrated great Intuition.

On the other hand Dr. Pemberton- was probably tired of water too- sparked by curiosity, stirred up what has evolved over the years as arguably the worlds-best taste. He has given us another option of how we quench our thirst- other than plain water. Coca-Cola’s was introduced to the –thirsty- population of USA by Mr. Candler who found innovative ways to connect the brand to the people. He gave away coupons for complimentary first tastes of Coca-Cola, and outfitted distributing pharmacists with clocks, jugs, calendars and apothecary scales bearing the Coca-Cola brand-  people saw Coca-Cola everywhere and it was inevitable that it became popular and the demand for the refreshing soda accelerate. He touched peoples- emotions- taste buds. It was Robert Woodruff who had the bigger vision for expansion and he led the expansion of Coca-Cola overseas and it took him more than 60 years to introduce the beverage to the world and beyond. He was persistence and remained true to the vision. Today, 125 years later, Coca-Cola Company has remained the world’s first choice thirst quencher.

These two stories depict what leadership is about. They contain in them intangible factors that have transformed the world one way or the other. It took undying courage, brilliant intuition, engaging rapport, solid-ground credibility and progressive process to develop the influence they had, and leadership is measured by influence and resembled by a selfless contribution.

Like the horse boarder and Dr. Pemberton- and the Coca-Cola Company crew- you have it in you to influence a life. Yours is to look in the mirror; share not just the knowledge but the beauty and enthusiasm that reside within yourself, that’s what leaders do.

First and for most you will have to be able to study the situation and understand what the people/person are going through. That will enable you to imagine what could be attained out of the situation and in-turn allows you to measure how you would go about do it- and that will require commitment and courage. Leaders read the situation and react in a way that they hope to transform the situation. This is leadership intuition, that you evaluate everything with leadership bias.

Mr. Candler knew that people wouldn’t just buy into the soda they never knew, so he gave away coupons for complimentary first tastes of Coca-Cola, this was a strategy to connect with the people. It is required of you as a leader to connect with people, as you can’t sell any idea to them without them buying into you. As John C. Maxwell observed that people rarely care about how much you know, what they really want to know is how much you care. The point of connection with people is the heart and care is sourced from the heart. Your ability to develop a rapport with people is what will make you a good leader. Rapport is developed by dealing with people as individuals- one at a time- not as a bunch.

Credibility is rooted in good character and good character yields respect and respect is earned through sacrifices and making good decisions. You don’t just talk about it you exemplify it in all your actions; you stay committed and true to the goal despite the adversities. Character is groomed.

It is not about being superman; it is about being true to who you are. Yes, some things are beyond our control- especially what one thinks and what happens to us- but why should that discourage you? Do that which is in your ability to do, do it with love and diligence; it will require courage- the strong desire to live, taking the form of readiness to die- and remember that it is a process, so enjoy every moment of it.

You are a born leader –surely there is no other way you came to earth without being born- you got so much to offer, don’t let what you see on the outside dictate what you see in the inside, take cognisance of these intangible qualities and they will not only transform the lives of those around you, but they will transform your life as well. Do not limit your contribution to a position or title; let your role be effective through a contribution that echoes in peoples minds and hearts, backed-up by your distinct leadership -character- heart; because leadership mirrors you. The lesson? Be and Do what you can do to the best of your ability, your ability can only get better by nurturing it daily and sharing with others, thus you have to be persistent and patient.

You can lead a horse to the water!

Leadership is from the Heart and that is the Art of being You.