
BRAD LANDE-SHANNON
Owner, Head Coach, Course Instructor
Join the Natural Leadership Training Programs
A Model for Leadership, Relationship, and Working With Others
Imagine having a framework and leadership presence that can quickly build trust with others, see the heart of problems with greater ease and clarity, and can create breakthrough moments with less heavy lifting for you as a coach, therapist, teacher, or leader.
GOOD NEWS! We are now offering several exciting ways to begin your journey in learning and practicing Natural Leadership.
We’ve created these unique offerings which each include a variety of methods for delivering the training so that you can have easy access to our proprietary model and you can learn at the pace and intensity that is right for you.
Your Adventures Starts Here

What is Natural Leadership?
We are human animals. But, we are disconnected from the natural signals of our mammal bodies. We are ruled by thought, language, ego, and story. As adults in the human world, we have learned to put our mammal bodies to sleep, to go numb, and to move through our lives on autopilot much of the time.
To reclaim the innate powers of our human animal, we can learn to pay close attention to our inner world and the signals it is sending us. We can bring into our awareness the feel, texture, and aliveness of what is happening in and around us. This awareness is called Natural Leadership and it is an ancient gift that may be hidden or forgotten—but it is never lost.
When we wake up this vibrant part of our humanity, we have access to a new source of information which we can utilize to take better care of ourselves, to respond to pressures within and around us, to make sound choices for ourselves, and to build more authentic relationships.


Due to the global pandemic and the limited ways that humans are able to connect, we will be engaged in ongoing conversation about how to incorporate experiential learning and authentic relating even when we are physically remote. We will practice this with each other as a learning community, and we will explore how to bring it into all areas of our lives.
Circle Up's training experiences will open a new and profound channel of awareness for you.
You will learn to notice the subtle shifts in energy and emotion that occur in individuals and groups so you can respond and attend to pressures or pains when you sense them.
This makes you a reliable and caring leader. You will learn to use frequent feedback and honest communication to create genuine, trusting, and stable relationships.
How our programs will help you:
- Lift the hood and better understand the engine of interpersonal dynamics.
- Deepen your practice of coaching, counseling, teaching, consulting, or leadership.
- Learn and practice a model so you feel better equipped to use your skills and tools with more intentionality when working with individuals and groups.
- Grow yourself as a helper, teacher, leader so you have increased capacity for making change.
- Grow yourself for yourself.
- Learn how to bring experiential learning into the work you do with people.
- Master the art of quickly assessing situations, systems, relationships, and people.


We are deeply committed to the power of experiential work
People are tired of being talked at and asked to learn passively. It limits our growth if we learn one-dimensionally. Our approach will always ask you to learn from something concrete and tangible, to experiment, to move and explore.
At Circle Up, we believe in the adventure of learning.
Which Natural Leadership Training Program is Best for You?
Scholarships are available. Please inquire for more information.
Natural Leadership Equine Therapy Certification Program
- Designed for Mental Health Providers
- Approximately 4-month-long cohorts
- Includes Natural Leadership content and exercises, weekly Zoom calls, two 2-day in-person equine-assisted workshops
- Learn the Natural Leadership Model, how to use it yourself, and how to apply it to your mental health practice. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
Natural Leadership Accelerated Coaching Certification Program
- Designed for Leaders and Individuals
- Approximately 4-month-long cohorts
- Includes Natural Leadership content and exercises, weekly Zoom calls, two 2-day in-person equine-assisted workshops
- No Previous Experience Required
- Learn the Natural Leadership Model, how to use it yourself, and how to apply it to your personal and/or professional relationships. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
Awakening Natural Leadership
- Designed for Couples and Individuals
- Weekend retreat at one of Circle Up's locations
- Immersive whole body experiential learning adventure to help you break patterns, bring balance into your life again, and gain self-awareness. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE
Awakening the Equestrian Within
- Designed for Riders working with their own horse or auditing Non-riders
- Weekend equine workshop at Awake Ranch
- Includes two dressage lessons and opportunities for a new approach to groundwork. Stabling available upon request
- It focuses on how our interpersonal world affects our riding and relationships. LEARN MORE & REGISTER
Boundary Bootcamp
- Self-directed online learning
- Learn the steps of healthy relating, discover your own needs, and how to express them to others so they are well-received. LEARN MORE & REGISTER
Natural Grit
- Self-directed online learning
- An emotional strength and resilience building course that will help you build your resilience practice. LEARN MORE & REGISTER

