TEACHINGHORSE ™
MOVING FORWARD
O
ur world and our communities remain in a state of volatility and confusion about what the future holds. Covid 19 surges, school shootings, the war in Ukraine, inflation, looming recession, and political upheaval continue to dominate the headlines. At the same time, resilient people everywhere are finding ways to keep moving forward. New businesses are opening at a record pace. The Wilmington entrepreneurial ecosystem is being recognized among the top in the nation. We began our year with the Wilma Leadership Institute joining us at Double Run Farm for their first session of the season. Forty incredible women leaders from the local area practiced leading themselves and others through uncertainty
with our horses. Their excitement about the future and their role in it was palpable. Just about that time, something happened for TeachingHorse that we did not expect. Requests to work with us and schedule sessions exploded! We are so grateful to the local community and our clients around the country for enabling us to move forward as well. This rapid growth has also required us to quickly implement strategies to support the demand. We have launched a new licensing and certification program to expand our network of practitioners both locally and globally. I am also happy to share that the next generation of leadership for TeachingHorse is here. Multiple sessions are being held weekly under the leadership of a variety of
teams around the country. If, in June of 2021 (while we were scrambling to stay afloat), you had told me this would be happening in June of 2022, I would have said, “Yeah, right.” Sometimes moving forward requires you to let go of the pain of the past and open yourself up to what is possible. Letting go is never easy. This article would be incomplete if I did not acknowledge that we have also experienced a loss in recent weeks. Our herd member, Galen, whom many of you have met and been touched by, passed away in May. Standing 18.2 hands high (7 feet tall), this horse was famous for teaching people that it is the size of your heart that truly matters. Amidst the events of the world, working through new growing pains as a business,
and being present to the loss of Galen, we remain true to our vision to prepare generations of leaders capable of guiding healthy, sustainable organizations. Our mission is to create experiences for people to learn what horses know about leading through uncertainty. When you keep your vision and mission at the center of what you do, moving forward is the only option.
June Gunter has worked in the field of leadership and organization development for over 35 years and holds a Doctor of Education degree in the field of Adult Learning from North Carolina State University. She is also the Co-Founder of Go-od Consulting, LLC.
TEACHINGHORSE.COM | JUNEGUNTER@TEACHINGHORSE.COM 44
WILMA
JULY 2022
