Friends of Force for Good: Jill Anderson on "Leading from Behind"

Jill Anderson is director – Development and Communications at the Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary. Her essay addresses leadership from a unique perspective. As a professional communicator and a tireless advocate for a cause she passionately believes in (saving wild mustangs from being exterminated), she is a true Friend of Force for Good. Previously, she worked for Congressman John Dingell (D-MI).

There is a moment in everyone’s life where he or she feels compelled to make a difference in the world, to offer some substantive contribution during our time on the planet. Perhaps this is especially true for those in the communications field. We believe, after all, that we have something worth saying.

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In today’s modern world, where we are besieged with stimulus on every front, it seems a daunting task to distinguish oneself from the masses, and emerge as a leader. For many, it is not the challenge of climbing to the top that gives us pause, but the chance that our integrity will not be found in tact when we get there. The upwardly mobile know very well that opportunities to propel ourselves, to gain ground against our peers, will be offered . . . as long as we leave our better angels by the wayside. Can we resist these opportunities? Can we ever really reach the top if we do? Is there not a path where honest ability, hard work and a sound moral compass are the best tools to help us reach the proverbial top?

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I work as a communications professional for a wild horse sanctuary. A fast track to the limelight it is not, but it affords me a unique and rare opportunity to learn from some very powerful constituents.

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At our sanctuary, wild horses roam the hills in their natural herd groups. It has been a profound and invaluable education for me to observe these natural communities; to watch them interact; to learn how they resolve conflict; and to realize by whom their path is chosen.

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In a wild horse herd the lead mare serves as the sort of figurehead, out in front of the rest. She has the attentive focus of her herd and they follow her with unwavering faith and loyalty. As integral and high profile as her role is within the herd, it is not the lead mare that chooses the path and sets the pace.

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Behind the herd, driving with purposeful intent and hard won assuredness is the stallion. In a seemingly effortless and almost instinctual manner, he assesses the environment, decides if it is time to move – and how quickly and in what direction, or whether it would be more prudent to preserve their energy and remain a little longer in their current space. He navigates through unexpected obstacles, and meets challenge with an honest and direct response, expending no more or no less energy than is necessary to resolve the conflict. The stallion does not achieve his position through privilege or favor, nor can he rise to lead stallion without truly possessing the qualities needed to effectively guide and protect the herd. He will be challenged continuously by other stallions seeking to claim his status, and could easily lose his herd if he is not the leader that nature requires him to be.

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I would suggest that through these incredible animals nature has provided us with a model of true and honest leadership. As communications professionals we would do well to follow the example set by the stallion. Like him, ours is the task of assessing our world and guiding the movement of our herd.

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Our world is rapidly changing. People are feeling increasingly disconnected from their families and community, from the earth and maybe even from themselves. Climate change and the steady depletion of natural resources gives many cause for great concern with the path that we have been on – a path which seems to be heading for a downward spiral. None of this can be resolved without a willingness to make changes, to leave behind old ways of thinking and set out on a new path. The world is desperately in need of true and honest leadership to help us find this path and successfully navigate it. We are the opinion leaders, the architects of perception and the builders of conscious awareness. In this incredible journey that we are all on together it is our calling to find those greener pastures, and to guide our herds safely to them by leading from behind. 

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-  Jill Anderson