Daring to “Fly with Eagles vs. Swim with the Ducks” : Navigating Life’s Choices

In my coaching sessions I frequently use this phrase that I came across a while ago. I adapted it and added my $0.02 for the benefit of my students.

Being an employee now an entrepreneur, this analogy was what catapulted me to where I am todayAn Eagle is a powerful creation. They demonstrate Focus, Resilience, Strength, Drive, and Fearlessness. Here are the Six Key Leadership Principles that we can learn from an Eagle.

1. Eagles fly with Eagles and at High Altitudes:

They don’t fly with sparrows, ravens, and other small birds.
 
MEANING: Stay away from narrow-minded people, those that bring you down. Eagle flies with Eagles. So keep good company.

2. Eagles have an Accurate Vision:

They have the ability to focus on something as far as 3 miles away. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.
 
MEANING: Have a vision and remain Focussed no matter what the obstacles and you will succeed.

3. Eagles do not Eat Dead things: 

They feed only on fresh prey. They believe they Deserve The Best.

MEANING; Do not rely on your past success, keep looking for new frontiers to conquer. Leave your past where it belongs, in the past.

4. Eagles Love the Storm:

When clouds gather, the eagle gets excited, the eagle uses the storms wind to lift itself higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagle uses the raging storm to lift itself above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the branches and leaves of the tree.
 
MEANING: Face your Challenges head on knowing that these will make you emerge stronger and better than you were. We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid of challenges, rather they relish them and see them as Opportunities and use them Profitably. 

5. Eagles Prepare for Training:

They remove the feathers and soft grass in the nest so that the young ones get uncomfortable in preparation for flying and eventually fly/ when it becomes unbearable to stay in the nest.
 
MEANING: Leave your Comfort Zone, there is No Growth there.

6. When the Eagle Grows Old:

It’s feathers becomes weak and cannot take it as fast and as high as it should. This makes the eagle weak and could make it die slowly. So it retires to a place far away in the mountains. While there, it plucks out the weak feathers on it’s body and breaks it’s beak and claws against the rocks until it is completely bare; a very bloody and painful process. Then it stays in this hiding place until the eagle has grown new feathers, new beaks and claws and then the eagle comes out flying higher than before.
 
MEANING: We occasionally need to Shed Off old feelings and matters, however difficult, things that burden us or add no value to our lives should be let go of.
 
Hope this gets you thinking on how to surround yourself around eagles :-).

Share this if you found this useful. 

Drop me a line on how you plan are to find some Eagles.

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Al Monteiro