Are You Soaring or Boring?!

The eagle is often described as a noble and majestic bird. Have you ever wondered what warrants an eagle such merit? I have. In fact, I have observed several references on the internet that link eagles to leaders metaphorically and the more you get to know about this bird, you’ll tend to understand why. As aspiring leaders we subject ourselves to numerous channels of learning to hone our leadership skills. Yet, through its simple lifestyle, an eagle conveys poignant “gyan” (knowledge) that many of us search high and low for. I’d like to dwell on a couple of key takeaways from the life of an eagle, which a leader would do well to consider.  

First – we all learn in some shape or form that as we groom ourselves to lead, embracing change is inevitable. Though ‘change’ is a broad term, if you are looking to be a leader, then ‘renewing’ yourself, your thoughts, your mindset, etc., is going to be more of the change you will see needed in your life. Such change will build resilience in you. Though eagles have the longest life span among birds, when eagles are in their forties, they go through a process of renewal. Finding a hidden place high in the mountains, the eagle knocks out its curved beak, its dulled talons and heavy feathers that make it less airborne. As a result, it bleeds badly. But this is vital for the eagle in order to renew its strength and to build resilience. If the eagle did not do this, it would not be able to live to its fullest span. By the same token, to be successful leaders, we need to be willing to re-visit the old and dulled out aspects of our life – be it habits, behaviors, attitudes, etc. – that make us less airborne to soar high.

Second – none of us are exempt from the storms and setbacks of life. Whether expected or not, life has its own measure of throwing odd balls at us. How do we react to such situations? Are we free to tide over them or do we flee? When it rains, most birds head for shelter. However, the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds. The objective is the same – to tide over the rain – but the approach is distinctly different. Do we react like the average bird or do we step up like an eagle? According to a Native American writing, “the Eagle reminds us to take heart and gather our courage, for the universe is presenting us with an opportunity to soar above the mundane levels of our life. The eagle also teaches us to broaden our sense of self beyond the horizon of what is presently visible“.  

However, it is up to each of us to decide if we want to settle for the average bird that safely flocks in a world of complaints and arguments of short-comings to justify its mediocrity or to step out of the flock, look at the world from a higher vantage point, and rise above our self-imposed limitations. Chances are we’d write off any leadership dream doing the former, and doing the latter would require some serious self-evolution. Life is never going to stop presenting challenges to us but for those of us aspiring to be leaders, let us take inspiration from the eagle’s ability to soar high during adversity. Let us face life’s challenges as opportunities that beckon us to tide over them! As the saying goes – “Leaders are like eagles ...  You find them one at a time.” So let today mark the beginning of spotting the eagle in you! Rise up and scale the heights!