Leadership and dominance

Here we have great untapped potential to learn from nature.

In a herd, the most dominant animal is never the same horse that leads the herd, as is so often the case in the human world.

The reasons for this are obvious. Those who are feared are also the least trusted, as they intimidate others, attack for no apparent reason or display a strong sense of entitlement. Ultimately, this jeopardizes the performance and thus the survival of the herd/team. No one can be creative or perform at a high level when working or living in such an environment. The consequence is that everyone looks out for themselves, trying to find a way to avoid this person.

Dominance is not inherently bad; it simply depends on whether we are able to use it with mature awareness. In the horse world, dominance has two functions: it serves to establish clear boundaries and to protect the herd.

With people, dominant behavior—or setting clear boundaries—is used, for example, when a mother tells her child that the room must be tidied by 6 p.m. At work, it means telling an employee that there will be consequences if agreed deadlines are not met. What is important is that the intent behind the dominant behavior, as in the horse world, serves the well-being of the whole and is not used to suppress an individual. It is about setting and communicating clear boundaries so that a healthy coexistence is possible.