Finding an Outlet

When I was 8, my next-door neighbor was my best friend. We played each day

after school until my parents came home from work. We loved to make arts and

crafts, such as floral pressing, and loved to learn new things like calligraphy. One

year, we both decided to go horseback riding. The first day, a car backfired while I

was riding, which caused the horse to jolt, and I fell off. Looking back on it, I’m

sure that the horse only moved slightly faster, but that was enough to put me off

balance. Even though I fell off that first day, I fell in love with horses and

equestrian sport. Even when the indoor arena collapsed under the weight of the

snow in the Ohio winter, I rode in the barn aisles. I loved that horses would listen

to me talk about my day, my frustrations, and never talk back to me. They make

me feel heard and appreciated. 

I share my love of horses, as it is important for us to have an “outlet” as we are in

high-impact leadership roles that carry stress and tension. Who can you vent

your frustrations to? Who makes you feel heard? Where can you release your

tension? I am grateful that I found a sport I love doing that also allows me to

release my work tension. I believe each of us needs such a release to survive the

difficult aspects of leadership. People often ask how I can show up so positive

when most people are overwhelmed. People ask how I can smile at the

beginning of the tenth Zoom call when we are talking about a tension-filled topic.

The answer is that I go release that tensions and refill my energy so I can show

up for the team in the most effective and supportive manner. 

Open Leaders know the importance of showing up with the best version of themselves for their team. They understand that taking care of themselves and finding an outlet allows them to re-energize amid the chaos so that they can lead with curiosity, empathy, and through connection. Having personal balance and fulfillment empowers them to effectively lead their team from the inside-out: using heart, clarity, and purpose.

Research shows that leaders who have a safe space to reflect, test strategies, and try out leadership tools before applying them in the workplace are more confident, more effective, and more resilient under pressure. An outlet isn’t just restorative—it can also be a proving ground for growth.

I realized after I had children that I had put my love of horses to the side to care

for my amazing daughters. But I also realized that I was missing an outlet and

taking out my tension. An outlet to me is something that refills my energy. As a

family, we made a choice to support prioritizing time for me to spend riding each week. The horse listens to discuss challenges at work and must know all the names of my colleagues. He takes his job as my personal trainer seriously and regularly makes me work hard to stay in shape after sitting at a desk for many hours a day. People often ask how a busy mom could add another activity, and the answer is that sometimes adding an activity you love actually opens up time to focus on what you need.

Jenny and Calypso at the World Equestrian Center

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