Goat Rodeo Project Inspiration

I wanted to share a number of the experiences and people that have inspired Goat Rodeo Project – including the goats!

 

  • The human-centric approach has been inspired by many great thinkers but particularly Adam Grant, Simon Sinek, and Gretchen Rubin.
  • I was introduced to the concept of Truly Human Leadership while attending an Executive development program at Ivey Business School. Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, puts people before financial results and feels a sense of responsibility in making sure everyone who works at his organization feels fulfilled and engaged in the work they do.
  • I listened to The Goat Rodeo Sessions on a loop when I was on a road trip to Prince Edward Island in 2012. It’s a mind-blowing collaborative album by Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyerand Chris Thile. The album won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

 

You can also get a surprising amount of inspiration from goats:

 

  • As a dog lover, it’s interesting to know that goats were the first animal to be domesticated about 11,000 years ago.
  • I like to think I have a sense of humour. Did you know that a goat giving birth is said to be ‘kidding’? And no, I’m not… kidding.
  • It’s important that I can articulate myself clearly and have good ‘mouth action’ as part of Goat Rodeo Project. It’s the same for goats! They don’t have teeth on their upper jaw but they have an incredibly mobile upper lip to help sort through thorny twigs to find tender leaves.
  • Goats have rectangular pupils to give them a fuller range of vision than humans and other animals with round pupils. Goats can see 320 to 340 degrees. As we look to navigate the new world of work, I believe, a goat-like broad periphery is mandatory.
  • I love coffee! According to an Ethiopian legend, the stimulating properties of coffee were discovered when a goat herder found his flock frolicking with extra verve after consuming the red berries of the coffee shrub. The plant had the same energizing effect on the herder himself—and with that, the tradition of drinking coffee was (supposedly) born.

 

Adapted from 15 Amazing Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Goats – link

 

Mark Edgar

Mark Edgar – a recovering CHRO and Founder of Goat Rodeo Project, a consulting firm designed to help you predict and avoid train wrecks. For the avoidance of doubt, we’re in a goat rodeo. Follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter for more HR-related ramblings. It would be great to catch-up.