A new horse came to our barn this week and I had the opportunity to be there as he was unloaded from the trailer and acquainted with his new home. It is always fascinating to see the reactions of all the horses when presented with a new member of the barn equine family. Every horse was watching this new horse -- all of them standing at attention with ears forward, sniffing the air, and calling out to the new horse. Many of the horses were moving around try to get a better view of the new addition -- which wasn't hard to do as he is a big horse! All the horses were openly curious and welcoming. There were no preconceived notions, just excitement and a willingness to meet this new horse. (Of course, how the new horse would fit in the horse hierarchy when introduced into a pasture would be a whole separate blog entry!)
This got me to thinking about how curious we as humans when we are dealing with people, especially when we are dealing with people we think we already know. Are we eager and curious? We often come into a situation with preconceived notations, which tend to dampen our curiosity. I had the opportunity to work with an excellent Executive Coach (shout out to you, David Brown!) and one thing he always told me especially when dealing with difficult situations with people was to be curious. And he was so right! Curiosity leaves us open to making remarkable discoveries and resolving conflicts. By stepping away from our preconceived notions about a situation, being curious allows us move beyond obstacles. It is a critical tool for a Leader. So, my goal today is to be more like those horses meeting the new herd addition -- open and curious. What about you?
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