Ready for the Ride?
On the 17th February the Year of the Horse gallops in. Whether you follow the Chinese Zodiac or not, you can’t have missed the hype around embracing your ‘horse energy’.
The horse energy is a perfect antidote to the volatility and uncertainty we’re all feeling in our businesses today. The need for clear and defined action has never been greater. The past couple of years we’ve witness a claw back in net zero ambitions, business growth at all costs, tightening grip on costs, maximising profit over mission, ESG and CSR goals kept for good PR rather than central to business, and fear driven leadership entrenched in command and control, risk aversion and scape-goating. Is anyone else feeling like the world is taking a backward step towards old ways of being in business? The 1980’s ‘strong man/iron woman’ and ‘sell, sell, sell’ decade come to mind.
There is hope
The chaos and snap back to old ways that we thought were long buried may be a hopeful sign that change is around the corner. What looks like regression is often a sign of transition as old systems push harder when they know they are no longer viable. They grasp for more control and exert maximum force before losing their hold, as they struggle to learn and adapt. It feels like we’re all living in a washing machine, and washing machines get louder, shake and leak just before they die.
How does horse energy help?
Horse energy embraces action, freedom, speed and breakthrough. Exactly what’s required to break old ways of leading with control, fear, blame and high ego. A few questions to help you grow your horse energy in 2026:
what will you move forward without the fear of obstacles?
how will you find motion for what’s important this year?
what do you have a stronger drive to make happen?
how will you stay attuned to your body’s limits and energy reserves?
This is a brave, bold time to start the impactful projects, step into growth, face transitions head on, and most importantly take everyone with you through this growth. And be aware that this time naturally creates frictions, as old ways of leading are lost and new ways are forged. Friction may need attention in your business if you witness one or more of these three things:
the people plain, e.g. team members struggling with structure, KPIs and accountability
the purpose wobble, e.g. the mission that felt like second nature is more distant
the leadership stretch, e.g. your not just the visionary, it feels like everyone needs you
These are the growth and transition pains Loafspark supports leaders and businesses with. If you want to smooth these frictions get in touch.