Learning to Stop Clutching

I mentioned in an earlier post that horses have a kind of telepathy -- actually, it is their ability to read verbal and physical cues.   As was pointed out by a comment in an earlier post, our horses often times know our mental state before we do!  One my my biggest issues, though I am much improved, is learning not to clutch  with my knees as we go into the trot.  It seems counterintuitive, but the harder you try to stay on a horse by gripping with your knees and legs, the more unbalanced you become.  And at the trot, that can mean a lot of bouncing!  The key is to remain relaxed and balanced to move with the horse; however a human's natural instinct for self-preservation makes one want to grip.  Not only does this make you more unbalanced in the saddle, but the horse reads this as tension and a cue to go faster -- which of course just makes you bounce more in saddle.  It takes a lot of work to learn to balance and to relax and to not grip.  Learning the fine art of balance and relaxation  results in a more pleasant ride for horse and rider alike.

So, it is with Leadership.  It is hard to be an effective leader if you are "unbalanced" -- whether that be mentally (e.g. high emotion) or physically (e.g. physical infirmity or weakness).  Working to attain and maintain a "balanced" state, both mentally and physically allows a leader to be able to function in a manner that allows the leader to remain focused and objective.  And "balance" takes lots of practice!  What things do you do to help you remain in "balance"?  Do you exercise?  Do you have a hobby that you love?  Do you meditate?  Do you eat well?  What works for you?