10 things I learned from a lovestruck dairy cow

Her soft brown eyes longed for connection. The intensity of her stare spoke words she could not, telling me this would be a day I would never forget.

How Now, this beautiful brown cow, is one of my most memorable teachers — and probably one of my biggest fans, but more about that in a minute.

All learning is personal, advice is autobiographical. Anything you read, see or hear about won’t be true for you until you integrate the information, but let me shortcut this for you: if someone tells you to take the bull by the horns, take a non-literal approach to get into action. Cattle horns are dangerous, people! However, if you do find yourself immersed in a learning opportunity with a persistent cow, you might receive some valuable feedback about yourself as a leader like I did — and you’ll also discover a few new things about our bovine friends.

1. Horns are gender neutral. In theory, you could either grab a bull or a cow by the horns, though again, I do NOT recommend it.
2. When a cow won’t leave you alone, even if she’s on the small side, awfully cute and seemingly unassuming, do not ignore her advances (or the reality of her advancing on you). Like the ocean, never turn your back on a cow.
3. If you do notice her horns touching you without your consent, MOOOVE! (My apologies.) You are unlikely to dissuade her. She’s got one thing on her mind, and that one thing is you my friend.
4. A few hundred pounds of frisky cattle is hard to dissuade — period.
5. Rodeo clowns are heroes.
6. By the time an amorous bovine has her hooves on your shoulders, it’s too late to plan a sound exit strategy.
7. When a cow knocks you over, she could be just as surprised as you.
8. Being surprised does not mean she’s lost interest.
9. Responding well after an unexpected event (or crisis) can be as valuable as pre-empting it or reacting in the moment. A thoughtful and solid response and follow up beats a failed, but well-planned exit strategy every day of the week.
10. Even cows need love.

When I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got over the shock of having been taken out by a cow, I realized I was not only fine, I was actually quite pleased with myself.

This is my life! I got to experience, survive and laugh about being tackled by a cow. No one else rehabbing their dislocated shoulder at the physical therapy clinic had that same injury story. No one.

The stories we tell give our lives color, flavor, essence, style, and meaning. It’s why as an executive coach, I develop my clients’ leadership through experiences that give both individuals and teams a richer and infinitely more complex understanding of who they are —though our experiences typically involve lower risks and never any bovine horns.

How Now reminded me that as a leader, I am resilient. I’ve got true grit. I can find something positive and fun in the most absurd and unexpected places (even underneath a cow), and I remain calm in extraordinary circumstances. Knowing this prepares me to adapt to anyone bullish I might encounter.

And some days, I’m even as heroic as a rodeo clown.