Our word Manage comes from the French word ‘Manège’, the movements in which a horse and rider are trained. Manège was taught in 16th century England as an essential part of battlefield leadership… calmly managing one’s horse while directing fielded forces to carry out the ever-
changing battle plan. Manège distinguished knights and nobles on and off the battlefield as effective managers, and confident, inspiring leaders. The Capriole move above, for example, involved ordering one’s horse to simultaneously jump up and kick to clear an exit path when surrounded by enemy foot soldiers. Horses’ battle dress back then included sharp blades firmly attached to their rear legs which made the Capriole a deadly exit move. The military moves of Manège are no longer critical, but the discipline and agility of management and leadership are.
You manage assets, you lead people.
So, as you progress through your career from manager to executive to strategic level leader, here are some lessons from Manège that may spur your progress.
1. Get to know yourself better. Learn about your style of doing things. Self-awareness is the foundation of great relationships, executive presence, and happiness.
2. Know, understand, and inspire each member of your team individually. They’re each different and respond best to an approach that you’ve tailored to each of them personally.
3. Continue to trust your gut, be agile, decisive and to the point. But know that others may need you to adopt a slightly different style for them to understand and have confidence in you.
Being in perfect harmony with yourself and your team will result in greater happiness, higher productivity, and greater success.
Ed Forsberg
Executive Strategist and CEO at Forsberg & Co.
