What comes
to mind when you think of leadership? Is
there a person that sticks out in your mind? A group?
Certain attributes? The animal
kingdom can teach us a lot about life.
Most animals instinctively display qualities that people possess but
have to develop and cultivate over time.
Life’s circumstances will cause us to forget that we already have these
qualities but don’t live up to who we can really be. So, when I think of leadership, I like to
examine the bald eagle. Eagles are the
epitome of leadership! Most people can
identify with the leadership qualities of these majestic birds, so most if not
all of you will identify with this post.
“We are ALL born Leaders, it just takes you
to find your PASSION to bring it out!” –C.L.
The bald
eagle exemplifies the qualities of leadership more than any other animal. There are other animals that are synonymous
with leadership such as the lion, the eagle’s leadership qualities fit well
together. Looking at the life of an
eagle there were seven qualities that stood out and characterized leadership.
Eagles are fearless.
If you’ve ever seen an eagle attack its prey they are
fearless. No matter how much bigger the
prey is the eagle will attack. Leaders
often possess a fearless attitude. Fear
is a weak mindset and as leaders we must channel that energy to something more
positive. When you have a clear and
concise direction fear doesn’t exist.
Most people fear failure but understanding that failure is part of the
process, we learn to accept it as something to make us better and not something
that will deter us from moving forward.
When a storm comes most animals find shelter, but eagles are
known to take advantage of the wind and use it to fly above the storm. Leaders
are tenacious and know how to hold their position and are not easily swayed
away from a decision that they believe in.
Just as the eagle knows that it can use a storm to fly above and get
through it we must learn to use the storms of life to go to another level. Persistence is what makes a leader effective.
Eagle are high
flyers.
Eagles are the highest flying birds of any other bird and for
this reason they fly alone. They are
known to fly at heights of 10,000-15,000 feet and can fly above storms. Leaders learn to operate alone because there
will be times when no one will understand your goals. Granted, we all need help getting to where we
ultimately want to be, but in times when you feel alone remember that leaders
are capable of working alone. Leaders
adjust to situations to make the best of it so that they aren’t slowed down in
their process by waiting for others.
Eagles have keen
vision
Eagles have great visual range, they can see over extreme
distance with a high level of clarity.
Research has shown that they can spot prey from up to 3 square miles
away. So what can we learn about and
eagle’s vision and focus? It’s important
as leaders to use our vision to take people to places that they may not see themselves
going. Big vision produces big results
and leaders have the ability to see things in ways that others can’t.
Eagles possess
Vitality
Eagles are known to live up to 70 years, but the process by
which this happens is mind blowing. At
age 35 eagles fly away to their nest in the mountains and over the next 5
months undergo a process of revitalization.
They break and grow another beak, pull out their own talons and pluck
their feathers. Once this process is
complete they take what is known as the first flight of rebirth. This process adds another 30-35 years to their
life. As leaders there are times when we
must take a moment to revitalize ourselves to start a new journey. It’s important to take a moment to create
that “new” life and just start fresh and deal with life’s stresses from a
different angle.
Eagles nurture their
young
Eagles learn to fly when they’re young by being placed on the
mother’s back and while in mid-flight she swoops out from under the baby and if
the eagle fails to take flight the mother takes it back up to the nest, tears
the nest apart and gives the baby a nudge.
Talk about a point of no return!
Leaders have to learn how let go of the safety net that may be the very
reason they can’t progress. When we get comfortable it’s easy to lean on what
we feel is safe and continue to live in mediocrity. The most successful leaders make a decision
and stick to it giving yourself no other choice, this is where progression
takes place.
Eagle test before
trusting
Female eagles subject males to vigorous testing before
mating. A test before trusting someone
will allow you to know how that person will react in adverse situations. Leaders should know who they can trust in
tough times whether friends, family or business partners, it’s important to
know who will be there for you when you need them. Trust is one thing that is earned not given. Take inventory of your leadership circle and
recognize who you can count on. Leaders
are faced with times when things won’t always go right, in these times you need
someone to have your best interest at hand.
Take a look at someone you feel is a great leader and match
their qualities up to those discussed above, it’s almost certain that they will
possess some if not all of these traits.
Take a moment to self-examine yourself and see where improvement is
needed and be accountable to someone to make changes. Looking at these
instinctive qualities of the eagle we can gauge which areas we need to
cultivate in our own lives and become the leaders that all of us have lying
dormant within us.
© C.LEWIS 2014
DREAM ON PURPOSE EVERYDAY
