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.
One of the most humbling moments of my riding career came when I started working on the Grand Prix canter zig-zag.
For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a notoriously challenging movement: three strides of canter half pass to the left, followed by six strides to the right, six back to the left, six again to the right, and finally three strides to the left — all completed on a 60-meter line, with flying changes of lead at every change of direction. It’s a test of precision, balance, and timing — and for a while, it completely unraveled me.
I became obsessed with counting. I was so focused on getting the number of strides correct that I forgot about everything else: the bend, the sideways movement, the suppleness. I would lock onto the three-six-six-six-three rhythm so tightly that I lost the feel of the horse entirely. And ironically, the more I obsessed, the worse I counted. It wasn’t just that the movement looked messy — it felt frantic, mechanical, and disconnected.
Finally, out of sheer frustration, I gave up counting altogether. I went back to the basics: simple canter half passes, focusing on balance, feel, and the correct bend. I worked on making each individual piece of the zig-zag solid again, without worrying about the number of strides or the flying changes. I stopped forcing the pieces together and simply rode the horse I had under me.
And then, one day — almost without realizing it — I was able to string it all together. Half pass, count, change. Half pass, count, change. It flowed naturally, not because I was micromanaging every step, but because the foundation underneath was finally strong enough to carry me through.
In business, the same principle applies.
As a CEO, it’s easy to hyper-focus on a single metric, goal, or problem — quarterly sales targets, a looming product launch, a client negotiation. You zero in so tightly that you lose sight of the bigger picture: team dynamics, customer experience, long-term strategy. In the rush to “get it right,” you can actually throw yourself — and your company — off balance.
Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to step back. Reconnect with your fundamentals; your culture, mission, trust, strategy. Strengthen your base. Focus on the pieces individually, instead of forcing a perfect final product. When the foundation is solid, everything else can flow naturally — and success will feel less like a battle and more like a dance.
The canter zig-zag taught me that progress isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes, a little backward movement is the necessary preparation for a bigger, more powerful leap forward.
And whether in the arena or the boardroom, sometimes the best way to hit your mark is to stop fixating on it — and just ride the stride you’re in.
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.
