Leaders often rely on quick decisions and familiar patterns, but lasting impact requires something deeper. Transformation begins when we quiet the noise, notice what is happening in the moment, and open ourselves to what is emerging. Presencing mastery offers a way to unlock clarity, trust, and authentic connection.

In this conversation on the Leading with Instinct podcast, Katie Navarra-Bradley, Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach with Katie the Coach, and Ginny Telego, President of Collaboration Partners, are joined by Lissa Pohl, Chief Engagement Officer at the Engagement Quotient and a pioneer in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL).

Drawing from her recent article in the International Journal of Presencing Leadership and Coaching, Lissa explains how presencing moves beyond mindfulness and presence, offering a path to access deeper somatic and relational intelligence. The focus turns to how horses act as clean feedback experts, showing leaders how to disrupt default behaviors, shift from predatory to relational approaches, and practice leading from the future that wants to emerge.

These small shifts help leaders build resilience, foster trust, and create the space for genuine transformation in their organizations and relationships.

The Leading With Instinct Podcast is brought to you by Collaboration Partners and KatieTheCoach.com.

Takeaways

-Presencing is deeper than mindfulness. It’s accessing a state of stillness where new possibilities can emerge.

-Horses model presence naturally and offer clean, non-judgmental feedback.

-Equine Assisted Learning brings leadership concepts from the head into the whole body.

-Relational leadership shifts us away from unconscious predatory habits.

-Leaders must integrate intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual intelligence.

-Clean feedback creates calm, clarity, and authentic learning.

-Presencing helps leaders respond in the moment rather than relying on old patterns.

-Everyday practices like pausing, observing, and asking curious questions build presencing skills.

-These approaches create clarity and connection even in complex situations.

Chapters

00:40 Introduction/Meet Lissa Pohl

3:10 Unpacking Presencing Mastery

08:00 The Body as Intelligence

15:09: Learning Presencing from Horses

22:00 Horses as Clean Feedback Experts

25:53 From Predatory to Relational Leadership

33:06 Practical Steps for Presencing

Helpful Links:

Article - The Effectiveness of Equine Assisted Learning to Develop Presencing Mastery : https://revues.ulaval.ca/ojs/index.php/ijplc/article/view/54168

Lissa Pohl, The Engagement Quotient: https://enqcoaching.com/

Ginny Telego, Collaboration Partners: https://www.thecollaborationpartners.com/

Katie Navarra-Bradley, Katie The Coach: https://katiethecoach.com/