A new slant on horse power to help business leaders

The power of horses is being harnessed in a deeply innovative way by two Shipston-upon-Stour women in a new venture designed to help business owners deal with the pressures of running a company.

Jude Jennison and Emma Taylor have formed The Leadership Whisperers to deliver equine-based learning experiences for senior leaders and executive teams.

Based in Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, The Leadership Whisperers help leaders to work in harmony with themselves and each other. They can provide workshops and demonstrations for two to 1,000 people. 

In an environment far from the hustle and bustle of corporate life, business leaders are partnered with horses, thereby learning how to be calm and confident under pressure, create relationships based on mutual respect and communicate with clarity.

The approach offers a unique approach to clearing and uncluttering stressed minds.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, admires such innovation.

She said: "This is a wonderful example of business-owners showing an innovative approach which will form a great foundation stone for their own business and benefit others in the county and beyond.

"Thinking outside the box is an important way for businesses to get ahead and here in Warwickshire we have a proud history of that. Jude and Emma are bring an entirely new angle to helping people dealing with the serious pressures entailed in running a business and we wish them every success with it."

A new book by Jude Jennison - Leadership Beyond Measure: Profound Learning with horses to transform leaders and business - is out this month. In it, she explores seven leadership lessons that individuals and businesses learn from working with the horses and maps them back to real life situations.

Jude and Emma were supported by the Rural Growth Network, receiving specialist advice from Pera Consulting.