Eagles and what we can learn from them
Let’s make this newsletter about how some of the eagle habits can help us grow as humans.
I am going to draw a parallel between some of the things the mighty eagle does and my hope is you will deduce how to change some of your own habits to be able to soar higher yourself.
By understanding certain mindset changes and why you should work toward these changes, you will break free of a lot of the invisible chains that are bringing you down.
Most people learn very late if at all, that mindset is one of the most powerful things. And when an opportunity to learn early on is presented to someone, they refuse to acknowledge it. Assuming they recognize the opportunity in the first place.
Most of us do not succeed just because we never truly want it.
This is not a list of tactics per se, but rather a list to make you analyze yourself, and your surroundings (family, work colleagues and friends) and decide if you truly want a certain goal, or just think you want to achieve that goal.
- Find your tribe
- Stay away from the rotten
- Accept great challenges
- Practice and learn to spot opportunities
- Learn to teach
- Invest in the long run & Ask for spears
Let’s dive in so I can explain what I mean in a bit more detail.
1. Find your tribe
Eagles do not hang out with other birds. They find and fly along their own. Eagles might occasionally be found around other birds, and this is usually a means to an end. They have a goal, fly in, do what they came to do and fly out.
Eagles would not hang out with vultures, or pigeons, right? Eagles like to soar high. So why wouldn’t you then?
We as humans should strive to surround ourselves with like-minded people. We should seek out groups that challenge us, not ones that make us feel comfortable.
Pigeons are comfortable, relaxed and pick on scraps from the ground.
Eagles train to their maturity, fly at the highest altitude, have laser focus and dive head-first to achieve their goals when the time comes.
Your surroundings define you and if you do not have a lot to learn, or you are not being challenged to grow by your tribe, it is time to change your tribe.
I let pigeons be, and I have nothing against pigeons. But I would rather be an eagle.
2. Stay away from the rotten
Eagles do not eat dead things. It might be easier, but that would be more up the alley of pigeons and vultures. Eagles have high standards. Remember, eagles enjoy flying in class at very high altitudes. They think, analyze, take their time, and then once the objective (prey) is set, they silently and precisely strike. It is not easy, but they leave the easy to the pigeons and the vultures. And even though pigeons have it easy, they still like to be loud, similar to how people complain. Loudly.
Strive to be better than that. Set high goals and standards. Stop complaining. Become a leader and a problem solver.
3. Accept great challenges
Eagles learned to use storms. While other birds avoid storms as much as possible, eagles use the difference in pressure caused by the storm to climb higher, faster. We are taught from a young age, and our brains are also wired in a way to avoid danger and keep us safe and comfortable, but without practicing how to face a storm, the moment it happens, we are not ready for it. And storms do happen in life, and with a storm comes a lot of pressure. To be effective you must learn to navigate a pressure situation, to understand how to react to different life scenarios properly and the only way to be ready is to have experience.
Do not be afraid of storms, embrace them. It is scary but with time it will be second nature to handle a storm and even use it to your advantage. Great leaders learn to use it.
4. Practice and learn to spot opportunities
The mighty eagle bird is still a lot of the time. it is not scared or triggered by the smallest changes and is focused on its task. An eagle when looking for its target, is still in constant search. With enough experience, the bird moves its head and analyzes with its laser-focused eyes. When the time is right, and only then it strikes with extreme effectiveness. Even when flying, the eagle is sharp with its vision as it tries to spot its prey from very far away. It all comes down to training, experience and persistence.
Great leaders are always learning and honing their skills. Skills to see and notice opportunities others miss. Skills to not be affected or even ignore unimportant events and triggers. Skills to identify the right moment to act in a very precise manner. The more you practice this the better you are at it in the long run.
5. Learn to teach
By far one of my favourite skills to talk about.
Eagles teach their young how to fly by taking them on their back and soaring high and then flying off from under the eaglet to allow them to fall. This process is repeated until the eaglet gets the hang of properly flying for longer periods of time and further away from the nest. If however, the eaglet keeps coming back to the nest, back to a more secure environment, the eagle then destroys the nest so there would be nothing to come back to. It might sound harsh, but it is strategic.
If you want to learn to lead, you must lead by example. And you must learn to teach. This alone will force you to be better beyond what you imagine. By teaching others you will improve your own skills ten-fold. As your tribe grows, so do you. As you invest time for your tribe to become better, as you keep challenging them but also supporting them and empowering them, everybody wins.
A boss is very much different from a leader. A leader helps everyone evolve and as a result, they also grow. Be a great leader. Learn to teach.
6. Invest in the long run & ask for spears
Eagles train their eaglets for a long time, all the way to maturity. That is a big commitment. And an even bigger commitment is the one they have to their partners. The male and female eagles go through a few rounds of testing each other before they are sure they would mate for life. And then they do.
Yes, it is important to be flexible and to be able to pivot when needed, but more often than not this type of flexibility is different from a well-positioned goal.
And to bring it all together, this is where the spears come in. Always ask for feedback, especially feedback on the issue that other people see with your idea or concept.
But not just from anyone. Remember how eagles stick to their own, well you should ask your tribe for spears. They are the ones that care and will tell you the truth about how you can improve, instead of the rest that will just poke holes in your idea just for the sake of it.
Spears is a military concept that basically means asking for feedback after something is presented so that flaws can be identified and to make the idea or concept presented better next time.
So, set a great goal, stick to it, be persistent and choose wisely. And when you get spears, pivot where required.
TL;DR – too long; did not read
- Surround yourself with like-minded people. This will ensure your drive and chances of success more than you know. If you surround yourself with people that complain or are content, you will become them.
- Stay away from unethical people and from quick wins/easy money. Build momentum in the long run. Stay true to your cause and you will be ensured success.
- Always challenge yourself to grow. Never stop. As you do that, your knowledge and luck surface will grow exponentially. But more on the luck surface in another newsletter.
- Keep learning new things, more than you think you need at the moment. This will open you up to new experiences and new skills. And in turn, these experiences and skills will allow you to see a vast number of new opportunities that will allow you to accumulate even more experiences and skills. And so on.
- People brag about how many books they read. I like to ask how many they wrote. As you start teaching others, your own skills and knowledge grow. And as you keep doing this, your life improves tremendously in the long run.
- Set long-term goals, and break them down into years, months, and weeks. Track weekly progress. Keep to your goals, and ask for constant feedback but only from mentors or peers that are equally driven so that you constantly improve.
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you improve your career:
- Request to join our free and new Facebook Community – Mekanys Academy, and let’s talk
- Read the Success Secrets book (coming out soon). Subscribe here to be notified when it is out
- Fill in an application to one of our Career Success cohort training
