Reflections on Leadership Lessons from the Saddle
By Vicki Mayo, CEO & Founder, TouchPoint Solution
Welcome to Bridle & Boardroom, a monthly reflection where the lessons learned in the arena mirror the challenges of leadership. I’m an adult amateur dressage rider, and the CEO and Founder of TouchPoint Solution, a company that creates wearable devices clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety in seconds. Through horses and leadership alike, I’ve learned that balance, trust, and connection are at the heart of true success – in the saddle, in the boardroom, and everywhere in between.
There’s a moment in dressage training that feels completely counterintuitive – and yet, it’s a defining lesson in trust, both in the saddle and in the boardroom.
Recently, I was working with my horse, Pio, on collected canter in preparation for canter pirouettes. Over and over again, as I asked for more collection, Pio would break from the canter into the trot. Frustrated, I found myself trying harder: adding more aids, pumping my seat, using more hand. The harder I worked, the worse it became.
After a particularly humbling ride, I turned to some of my favorite training videos for insight and found myself rewatching Patrick Kittel schooling canter pirouettes. One thing stood out to me like never before: he simply sat still and trusted. His body stayed quiet, his seat soft but steady, and his hands still. It was an elegant conversation, not a wrestling match. His horse responded with balance, lightness, and self-carriage.
And it hit me: I wasn’t trusting Pio. I was over-aiding, over-managing, trying to “fix” things instead of giving him the space to find his own balance. I realized that what I thought was “helping” was actually throwing him off. My micromanaging wasn’t solving the problem; it was creating it.
The lesson didn’t stop in the arena.
As a CEO, this mirrors one of the biggest challenges of leadership: knowing when to sit still and trust your team. It’s easy, especially under pressure, to feel the urge to jump in; to micromanage, to course-correct every step. You convince yourself you’re helping. You think your constant presence and input are making things better. But often, you’re doing just the opposite.
Just like a horse needing space to find balance and carry itself, a team needs space to develop ownership, confidence, and rhythm. When leaders hover or over-direct, it disrupts the team’s natural momentum. It undermines trust. It creates an imbalance.
True leadership – in the saddle or in the boardroom – is about preparing, guiding, and then trusting. It’s about sitting quietly when the instinct is to scramble. It’s about believing that the foundation you’ve laid will carry forward without constant interference.
After watching that video of Patrick, I changed my approach with Pio. I asked for the collected canter, then sat quietly, resisting the urge to do more. At first, it was uncomfortable, like letting go of the steering wheel while the car is still moving. But then a magic moment happened: Pio found the balance himself. The canter became more elevated, more rhythmic, more powerful – because it was truly his, not mine.
The same magic happens when you trust your people. Set clear expectations, offer support, and then – crucially – sit still. Trust.
Because sometimes leadership means doing less, not more. And sometimes trust is the greatest aid you can give.
About the Author
Vicki Mayo is the CEO and Founder of TouchPoint Solution, a serial entrepreneur, author, and adult amateur dressage rider based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her professional journey has spanned founding and leading multiple companies, while her personal journey has brought her back to the saddle after a two-decade hiatus. Today, she blends lessons learned in the arena with leadership insights from the boardroom, sharing her belief that trust, resilience, and connection are at the heart of true success – in business, in riding, and in life.
