Show me any high achiever and we will be looking at a soldier. The strength it takes to endure, persevere and work through any life plan is of a higher standard than most without experience envisage. It takes physical strength, emotional strength and spiritual strength to achieve any set of goals. And the tough part is that the discipline is needed not for any one goal, but all goals. Every life target set needs you to plan, focus, and work through different processes.
This is why some find it easier to cheat, lie and bend rules. But that route loses the plot of leadership. True leadership requires grit, never guile. This is why effective personal leadership in a person is a quality to be cherished. Though a road less travelled, when personal leadership is established in a person, their ability to impact groups with the values, skills and attitudes found in their make up is immeasurable. The route to leadership is an arena in which strong character is forged, and pain endurance levels are shifted up. No wonder the symbols presented whenever leadership is discussed are of creatures of the highest grade – like the eagle.
It is said that unlike many types of birds, eagles fly alone. They fly high, are absolutely fearless and will often take up targets much bigger than themselves, like goats. They do not eat dead creatures, so they must fight their food while it has life, kill it, and eat. What absolutely beautiful manifestation of the understanding that there are higher standards of life than preying on the defence-less? Or lazily waiting for someone to work and achieve, only for you to go take the conquered from them? Eagles define their own space and food.
The female bird will test a male with feats of work, before giving them its partnership. But when it gives its love, it mates for life. Unlike the foolish ostrich that endangers its eggs by leaving the eggs in dust to warm, forgetting that passing feet can crush them, the eagle nurtures its young safely in high nests, and leads them to become achievers.
And the one I love most. Eagles use the strong winds of a storm to simply fly higher and easier. Without the winds provoked by the storm, it would have exerted more energy to fly. Instead of being cowed by the storm, eagles find the strong winds provided by the storm, and leverage on them as assets to achieve its’ goals. That is strength, wisdom and courage combined. I can’t think of a better combination for achievement. Be an eagle. Fly high. On the road less travelled. You only need the wind, and the storm will give it to you.
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