Buck Brannaman is a rock-star horse trainer and the inspiration behind the film The Horse Whisperer directed by Nicholas Evans, as well as the subject of the documentary Buck. This year, that movie won the Audience Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival. But when I met Brannaman in New York, I thought he had lost his vocation. Apparently, this guy was disguised as a management consultant, and might be more effective than any management consultant we’ve ever seen.
Brannaman grew up in Idaho and Montana with his brother Smokie, who was a famous trick roper as a child. The brothers appeared in cereal commercials, participated in distinctive TV shows, and also took part in horse-catching competitions. Now, Brannaman travels around the country for nine months of the year, teaching four-day horse clinics. Brannaman says, “Sometimes I don’t think I’m helping people with their horse problems — I’m helping horses with their people problems. Your horse is a mirror of your soul. Sometimes you may not like what you see, but sometimes you will.” He hates violence and intimidation, preferring gentle but firm persuasion.
It struck me that Brannaman’s methods and life lessons apply just as well to the business world. Managers and leaders often look everywhere for management techniques, but fail to search within themselves for the root causes of organizational issues. Aside from my own deep-seated desire to overcome my fear of horses, here’s what I learned from the movie:
1. Don’t intimidate.
As a child, Brannaman and his brother were frequently beaten mercilessly by their father, especially when they failed to meet his standards. Brannaman said, “I know what it’s like to live under intimidation.” In the short term, you can get someone to perform better through intimidation, but ultimately it leads to fear, and fear paralyzes.
2. Loosen the reins.
Brannaman can often get an unfamiliar horse to circle within minutes, making it respond to him like a dog without the restraint of reins. Through body language, constant gentle correction, encouragement, and patient perseverance without frustration or anger, the horse quickly learns what Brannaman wants.
3. Bribery doesn’t work.
Brannaman says that bribery only produces spoiled, disrespectful horses. So treat candy and carrots wisely. Your goal is to create an atmosphere where good teamwork is gradually acknowledged and appreciated, while lavish praise and rewards are reserved only for exceptional performance.
4. Tolerate mistakes.
Brannaman says you must allow horses to make mistakes. Like humans, horses learn from their errors. You can’t make them fear the consequences of mistakes. Brannaman’s tactics for correcting mistakes include waving a flag or gently tapping them with it. This grabs their attention and allows correction without threats or harm.
5. Acknowledge your own issues.
There’s a scene in the movie where Brannaman trains an extremely difficult and violent colt that even bit a trainer’s head. He got the horse through its owner. The colt had been deprived of oxygen at birth, was spoiled, and kept with untrained stallions. He told the woman, “This horse tells me a lot about you.” The implication was that her intentions might have been good, but the outcome was the opposite.
One final footnote about Buck: Cindy Meehl, the director, has a background in fashion and art, but she’s a lifelong horse lover. She joined one of Brannaman’s clinics in 2003. It was Brannaman’s story that inspired her to start Cedar Creek Productions and make a documentary about his journey. Other filmmakers had approached Brannaman too, but he wasn’t interested. So what made him agree to let a novice and a film crew follow him for two and a half years? The reason is simple. He said, “Because I know her, and I trust she won’t let me down.” And she didn’t. It all comes down to trust. Great leaders know whom to trust and when to let someone else step aside.