The Five Roles of a Master Herder: A Revolutionary Model for Socially Intelligent Leadership

by Linda Kohanov

Overview

Across several bestselling books, author and teacher Linda Kohanov has explored “the way of the horse,” an experiential wisdom gained by studying the nonpredatory power of horses. In The Five Roles of a Master Herder, she adapts these horse-inspired insights into useful tools for developing collaborative leadership and managing change.

Over thousands of years, Kohanov writes, “master herders” of nomadic herding cultures developed a multifaceted, socially intelligent form of leadership combining the five roles of Dominant, Leader, Sentinel, Nurturer / Companion, and Predator. The fluid interplay of these roles allowed interspecies communities to move across vast landscapes, dealing with predators and changing climates, protecting and nurturing the herd while keeping massive, gregarious, often aggressive animals together — without the benefit of fences and with very little reliance on restraints.

She includes an innovative assessment tool that will help you determine which roles you currently overemphasize and which roles you may be ignoring — or even actively avoiding. Through this powerful, at times surprising and moving book, Kohanov will show you how to recognize, cultivate, and utilize all five roles in the modern tribes of your workplace, family, and other social organizations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608683383
Publisher:	New World Library
Publication date:	06/14/2016
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

The author of the bestseller The Tao of Equus, Linda Kohanov speaks and teaches internationally. She established Eponaquest Worldwide to explore the healing potential of working with horses and offer programs on everything from emotional and social intelligence, leadership, stress reduction, and parenting to consensus building and mindfulness. She lives near Tucson, Arizona.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Introduction 11

Part I Artifacts and Origins

Chapter 1 Evolution of Power 29

Chapter 2 Mutual Transformation 53

Part II Five Roles

Chapter 3 Direct and Protect: Dominance without Malice Role: Dominant 79

Chapter 4 Discover and Inspire: Leadership through Relationship Role: Leader 99

Chapter 5 Support and Connect: The Power of Companionship Role: Nurturer/Companion 111

Chapter 6 Observe and Alert: The Sentinel's Perspective Role: Sentinel 125

Chapter 7 Cull and Recalibrate: The Predator's Sacred Task Role: Predator 139

Part III Balancing the Roles

Chapter 8 Growing Pains 157

Chapter 9 Working with a Herd: Applications in Real Life 175

Master Herder Professional Assessment 207

Acknowledgments 221

Endnotes 225

Index 231

About the Author 239

Editorial Reviews

“An innovative and practical nature-based approach to leadership — and life. This book is not just for corporate executives. Parents, teachers, community organizers, film directors, and especially politicians would all benefit from learning these skills.”
— William Shatner, actor, director, and author of Leonard and Up Till Now

“As a trauma specialist, I help people recover from abuse and criminal acts. Over the years, I’ve learned that empowered families are crucial to protecting their loved ones to begin with, for helping survivors of extreme experiences heal, and for leading the kind of cultural change that prevents violence. The Five Roles of a Master Herder provides a template for all adults to reclaim their power and use it wisely, at work and, perhaps more importantly, at home.”
— Rebecca Bailey, PhD, psychologist and author of Safe Kids, Smart Parents

“Linda Kohanov presents an intriguing model for human organizations adapted from those found among animals. This beautifully written book is an important addition to the literature on self-actualization, leadership, and natural horsemanship.”
— Rick Lamb, PhD, author of Human to Horseman

“When Rick Lamb and I coauthored our 2005 book, The Revolution in Horsemanship, I didn’t fully appreciate our subtitle (And What It Means to Mankind), especially as it pertains to the corporate business world. This book, however, made me aware of how an understanding of interspecies animal behavior can powerfully affect our lives today.”
— Robert Miller, DVM, veterinarian, teacher, and coauthor of The Revolution in Horsemanship

“A seminal masterpiece, Linda Kohanov’s The Five Roles of a Master Herder is a treasure of enlightened insights on how the nature of horse sense can help us find our balance between the lion and the lamb. Far beyond mere feel-good metaphors and self-help clichés, Kohanov clearly defines how nonpredatory power can lead to an evolved level of emotional heroism and the genuinely empathetic emotional intelligence needed to heal a world suffering a crisis of predatory leaders. A must-read for anyone looking to light the way forward in a darkening, increasingly out-of-control world.”
— Chris Irwin, author of Horses Don’t Lie and Dancing with Your Dark Horse

From the Publisher