RAISING LEADERS By Zig Ziglar

It has often been said that you don’t develop leaders or champions on feather beds. The “eagle approach” works best. Eagles build their nests high on mountains, exposed to the first rain, the first snow, the strongest winds.

When the mother eagle builds the huge nest, she starts with limbs and rough pieces of bark. Inside of that, she puts glass, stones, branches, etc. Next she picks up leaves, cloth and similar objects. Finally, she puts feathers - some from her own body - on top, and it is in this nest that she lays the eggs. When the little eaglets make their appearance, the eagle parents nurture their babies with food they have eaten and regurgitated. As the eaglets grow, the mother eagle removes the soft down from the nest, reducing the comfort level of the eaglets. Still later she removes the leaves, soft branches and cloth, further discomforting the eaglets.

By now the young birds are beginning to climb up the sides of the huge nest; their comfort level is minimal. Finally, the mother eagle removes the smaller sticks and everything else so the eaglets are exposed to the glass, cans, rocks and other uncomfortable bedding. Now the eaglets are staying on the sides of the nest. And here is where tough love really begins to show. Once the eaglets reach the top of the nest, the mother eagle nudges them over the side and they go hurtling to apparently certain death on the rocks below. At what appears to be the last instant, Mother Eagle swoops underneath and catches the eaglet on her own back. The process is repeated until the eaglets are flying on their own. Mother Eagle’s job has been done - she has worked herself out of a job. That’s what parenting is about - working yourself out of a job, and, in the process, developing our leaders for the future. Think about it, give your kids a chance to soar like the eagles by not making their lives too comfortable and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is known as America’s motivator. He is the author of 29 books and numerous audio and video recordings. He brings his message of hope to thousands on the stages at the Get Motivated Seminars.

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