Riding High: Lessons in Leadership from the Dressage Arena

Those who know me well know that I tend to keep a low, off-the-radar social media profile.? However, I was challenged recently that sharing some reflections might be encouraging to some of you on LinkedIn. And if you keep reading, you’ll understand why I might have had a propensity to do something outside of my comfort zone. Here goes:??

Outside of family and faith, I have 2 great, seemingly disconnected passions in life: Nextworld and dressage.?

Last month, I had the privilege of showing at Grand Prix in Wellington, Florida. It was my first time showing a Grand Prix, which is the highest level in dressage, and the same test as seen in the Olympics. This being quite a few steps outside of my comfort zone, I was unusually nervous and tense leading up to the event. As a rider, my horse picks up on this tension even before I do. Because of this I have to be in tune with my body and mindset, making intentional efforts to relax. Otherwise, if I’m tense, so is Quartet - “Ted” as I call him.?

It took some divine courage and a Taylor Swift dance session to shake off the tension and enter a relaxed state. It would have been easy to choose not to have competed at that level, not to have taken the risk, but my career as a rider is all about going through the fear and having courage in unfamiliar, uncomfortable places.?

More than that, I’m reflecting on the many moments in which I rely on that same courage in my capacity as CEO. Running a company is all about taking on the right level of risk and enthusiastically facing challenges that might be uncomfortable. In other words, becoming comfortable with discomfort.??

A recent example was the decision for Nextworld to acquire Cloud Inventory. When two companies come together, it can be a massive disruption to business. There must be a conviction of a larger vision, which we knew we had going into the engagement.??

We’re in our 3rd year since the acquisition. After spending the first two years laying the groundwork to bring our two companies together, I can look back and see many forks in the road where my team and I called on courage to make the tough, uncomfortable decisions.?

Our two companies have become one; I am proud of the ways we have made each other better and are settling into our joint identity. The new Nextworld is a more mature and confident organization that maintains its roots in being a great company to do business with because of our commitment to preserving our corporate culture – even when it’s more costly or more time-consuming. This is the type of discomfort I continue to embrace – sometimes even with a smile.??

Let this be encouragement to all the current and aspiring business leaders out there today. If you’re uncomfortable, you’re probably doing something right.??