Calm during Crisis: What Horses Can Teach Us About Leading through Uncertainty

Calm during Crisis: What Horses Can Teach Us About Leading through Uncertainty

The strongest leaders are the ones who can stay grounded long enough to notice what matters, regulate themselves under pressure, and create enough trust that others are willing to move with them through uncertainty. When a crisis comes, panic can follow. And if leaders lose trust, chaos will ensue. In this conversation on the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach [https://katiethecoach.com/], and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/], share a personal conversation centered around a real wildfire evacuation experience in Colorado. Ginny walks listeners through the emotional reality of seeing smoke near her home, the memories it triggered from previously losing her home in a fire, and the leadership lessons that surfaced as she prepared to evacuate her horses before an official order was ever given. Together, they connect the experience to business leadership, emotional regulation, trust, decision-making, and how leaders navigate uncertainty in real time. These are real leadership situations businesses face every day, including crises, emergencies, organizational uncertainty, and moments where teams take emotional cues from the leader before they ever hear the words being spoken. This episode challenges leaders to think about where uncertainty currently exists in their own leadership, how they communicate during pressure, and whether they are creating trust or simply demanding compliance. Takeaways – Leadership under pressure begins with regulating yourself before trying to lead others – Trust built before a crisis determines how people respond during one – Horses respond to energy before commands. People often do too – “Notice, decide, move, lead” creates clarity during uncertainty – Presence and emotional awareness help leaders avoid panic-driven decisions – Calm direction creates trust far more effectively than forced compliance – Leaders need a “North Star” they can return to during uncertainty – Pausing before communicating during a crisis can completely change outcomes – Emotional congruence matters as people sense what leaders are truly feeling – Small moments of intentional leadership practice prepare us for bigger challenges later The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com] and KatieTheCoach.com [https://katiethecoach.com]. Chapters 00:57 Introduction 01:27 Stories from a Colorado Wildfire 07:39 Past Experiences with Loss from Fire 10:18 Presence during Crisis 18:38 Navigating Our Emotions 29:07 Forced Compliance vs Earning Trust 38:29 Closing Thoughts/Channeling Your Inner Ginny Helpful Links: Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/ [https://katiethecoach.com/] Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/

Speaking Up: What Horses Can Teach Us About Strategic Silence

We’ve all noticed it. Maybe we’ve even felt it ourselves. Something feels off…but no one says a word. The meeting moves forward, heads nod, decisions get made. Yet, underneath it all, there’s hesitation, concern, even disagreement that never surfaces. It looks like alignment. But sometimes, it’s something far more dangerous. Strategic silence can cripple an organization. In this conversation on the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach [https://katiethecoach.com/], and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/], unpack the concept of “strategic silence,” inspired by a Benjamin Laker article in Forbes Magazine [https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2026/01/20/why-employees-stop-speaking-up-and-leaders-dont-notice/] on why employees stop speaking up and why leaders often miss it. Strategic silence is a hidden cost in organizations, from lost trust to wasted time and massive financial impact. And it can happen to leaders as well as employees, in themselves, and in how they encourage their team to share and engage. Takeaways – Strategic silence isoften self-protection from risk, judgment, or consequence – When leaders ignore or dismiss input, people stop speaking up altogether – Silence in teams creates hidden costs such as lost time, poor decisions, and damaged trust – People may withhold ideas out of fear, especially in environments of uncertainty (like AI and job security) – Leaders must actively notice who isn’t speaking as well as who is – Asking better questions (“What are we missing?”) invites real input vs. surface-level agreement – Horses model shared awareness, where everyone notices, and every signal matters – When concerns are acknowledged, confidence and trust in leadership increase – Internalizing unspoken concerns drains energy and impacts performance The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com] and KatieTheCoach.com [https://katiethecoach.com]. Chapters 00:48 Introduction 02:47 Horses Speak Their Minds 10:32 AI’s Influence on Strategic Silence 13:02 The Cost of Strategic Silence 21:00 Encouraging Sharing 27:11 Noticing Tensions and Risks 32:40 Listen to the Silence 37:59 Closing Thoughts Helpful Links: Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/ [https://katiethecoach.com/] Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/

Year of the Fire Horse:  What Horses Can Teach Us About Moving Forward

When one thing has ended, and another needs to begin, it can be easy to feel stuck. You can feel the pull to move forward, but uncertainty, hesitation, and competing energy make it hard to act. That in-between space can feel uncomfortable. It can also be the place where real momentum begins. In this conversation on the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach [https://katiethecoach.com/], and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/], explore what the Year of the Fire Horse represents for leaders stepping into 2026. They talk about movement, freedom, and intentional forward motion—and how horses model these qualities every day. It is an invitation to move with clarity instead of pressure. Change is hard, but usually necessary. Often, leaders know it, but can’t move forward. Katie and Ginny explore how leaders can recognize what gives them energy, what drains it, and how intentional choices create sustainable progress rather than burnout. Shedding your 2025 “Year of the Snake” skin might be hard to do, but it’s important. The Year of the Horse is about understanding when you’re ready to move, trusting your instincts, and stepping forward with clarity, confidence, focus and purpose. Takeaways — Letting go is the first step, while the next step forward requires clarity — Forward motion is easy to do if you will simply do it — Uncertainty is part of change. It’s a sign that you’re paying attention to what matters. — Energy misalignment creates chaos for people and teams — Horses model how intention regulates momentum — Leaders must consider what gives energy and what drains it — Sustainable progress comes from clarity instead of coming from urgency — Self-permission often unlocks the next step — Change works best when others are brought along thoughtfully The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com] and KatieTheCoach.com [https://katiethecoach.com]. Chapters 00:32 — Introduction/Shedding the Old Skin 07:50 — From Snake to Fire Horse 15:31— Ready for Hard Change 22:03 —Creating Forward Motion 34:26— Questions to Ask Yourself if Stuck Helpful Links: Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/ [https://katiethecoach.com/] Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/

Goal Setting: What Horses Can Teach Leaders about Hitting Their Marks

Setting goals in the New Year? Good for you, but be careful. Beating yourself up for goals you didn’t hit is too easy. The hard work comes in setting clear goals from the beginning. If you’re feeling stuck, you’re not alone. And feeling stuck doesn’t mean you failed. Clarity, movement, and direction matter more than rigid destinations when it comes to actually hitting those marks. In this episode of the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach [https://katiethecoach.com/], and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/], reflect on the podcast’s one-year anniversary, (a stretch goal in itself!) and unpack what goal-setting actually looks like when leadership, business, and life collide. This conversation weaves together stories of business setbacks and major life disruptions, with lessons learned in the arena with horses. Horses become powerful mirrors, revealing how unclear energy, misaligned intentions, or the wrong goal at the wrong time can stall movement altogether. Rethink success, not as hitting every mark on a timeline, but as staying in motion, adjusting when needed, and choosing goals that fit the reality of the moment. Takeaways -Feeling stuck often means clarity is missing -Direction creates movement; fixation on outcomes can create paralysis -Course correction is leadership in action -Shared leadership and trusted perspectives help prevent unnecessary self-punishment -Breaking goals into directional steps builds momentum and resilience -The “right” goal depends on timing, environment, and current reality -Progress is often quieter and more meaningful than we expect The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners [https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com] and KatieTheCoach.com [https://katiethecoach.com]. Chapters 00:34 — Introduction 02:52 — One-year anniversary. Goal Achieved! 05:39 — Destination vs Direction 08:47 — Major life disruptions and forced course correction 11:38 — Finding your “herd” for perspective and support 14:49 — Ignoring outside pressure to pursue the right path 19:09 — Imposter syndrome 22:16 — How Horses can show direction 25:31 — Setting the right goals 32:46— Directional goals vs. rigid outcomes 36:00 — Letting go of control and choosing intention Helpful Links: Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/ [https://katiethecoach.com/] Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/

Imposter Thoughts: What Horses Can Teach Leaders About Discovering Confidence

Confidence isn’t a permanent state for most leaders. Even highly capable leaders can find themselves questioning decisions, second-guessing instincts, or wondering if they truly belong in the moments that matter most. These “imposter thoughts” are likely familiar to you, and more common than most people realize. They are certainly more real than most leaders will want to admit. In this conversation on the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach, and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners, are talking about our common fears of inadequacy. Drawing from real client experiences, research, and their work facilitating leadership development with horses, they talk about what imposter thoughts actually look like in practice, how they affect decision-making, and why even highly successful leaders wrestle with them privately. Through powerful stories from the arena, Ginny and Katie reveal how horses immediately reflect internal confidence and the lack of it, without judgment, bravado, or performance. Leaders who hesitate, overthink, or avoid uncertainty see those same patterns mirrored back to them by the horses. Takeaways -Imposter thoughts affect leaders at every level, including CEOs -Fear of failure often drives hesitation and overthinking -Horses reflect real confidence, not performative confidence -Speaking self-doubt out loud reduces its power -Grounded confidence comes from internal and external alignment -Past successes can be used to interrupt imposter thinking -Physical posture and breath influence confidence -Clear expectations reduce anxiety and hesitation -Community support weakens isolation and doub Chapters 00:28 Snowy Days 02:28 Introduction 04:23 We’re all Imposters 09:59 Fear of Public Failure 13:43 Confidence in Context 15:06 Stories of Client Experiences 26:03 Building Self-Image 33:03 Physical Confidence 41:39 Closing Thoughts and Contact Info Helpful Links: Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2024 Global Insights Report: https://www.kornferry.com/about-us/press/71percent-of-us-ceos-experience-imposter-syndrome-new-korn-ferry-research-finds Workplace Impostor Thoughts, Impostor Feelings, and Impostorism: An Integrative, Multidisciplinary Review of Research on the Impostor Phenomenon : https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/annals.2023.0100?journalCode=annals Workplace ‘impostor thoughts’ may have a genuine upside: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/workplace-impostor-thoughts-may-have-a-genuine-upside Psycho-Cybernetics: Updated and Expanded (The Psycho-Cybernetics Series) :https://www.amazon.com/Psycho-Cybernetics-Updated-Expanded-Maxwell-Maltz/dp/0399176136 Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/ Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/ The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners and KatieTheCoach.com.