Leading Through Care and Presence: Horse Wisdom with Kelly Wendorf

Host Julia Felton welcomes Kelly Wendorf, founder of Equus and author of "Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living," to discuss how horses and nature inform leadership and teamwork. Wendorf shares her journey from equestrian ambitions to coaching and equine-facilitated leadership, emphasizing experiential learning and presence. They explore modern disruption as a catalyst for evolution using nature’s adaptive cycle (new beginnings, growth, consolidation, letting go) and the “messy middle” of change, plus the metaphor of a flying lead change for collective pivots amid climate change, AI, war, and unrest. Wendorf outlines five principles from horse culture—safety, connection, peace, freedom, and joy—led through care and presence rather than dominance, and defines “rewilding” as dismantling constraining social constructs to return to an innate, creative self. She invites listeners to engage via equusinspired.com, virtual courses, newsletters, and ranch retreats in Santa Fe.00:00 Teamwork Advantage00:50 Meet Kelly Wendorf01:58 Calling And Origins05:01 Coaching With Horses06:47 Service And Adaptability10:08 Presence Over Engagement11:58 Adaptive Cycle Explained14:34 Flying Lead Change Metaphor19:22 Horse Culture Principles22:20 Care Over Dominance23:14 Darwin and Power With24:49 Trauma Shifted Leadership26:30 Care Is Not Soft27:36 Regenerative Business Model29:57 Courage to Change31:26 Messy Middle Cycle35:26 Rewilding Leaders Defined38:25 Book and Next Steps39:41 Final Invitation and OutroConnect with Julia:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTake the IMPACTFUL Teamwork Quiz to assess your team's communication, creativity culture, goal clarity, and conflict resolution skills!Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on Spotify