Leadership Gold Part 5 of 10: Don’t Send Your Ducks to Eagle School
February 20, 2009 by dr. lam
I love this one. Despite his best intentions, Maxwell said he learned a valuable lesson during his lifetime as a leader: you can’t change people. Certain people like to get up late, barely get by in life, and are satisfied with their lot. There are also others that wake up early, challenge themselves, and want to continue to improve themselves daily. There are also many shades of gray between these two extremes. You can make slight changes to someone what Maxwell calls “2 notches up or down” but that is about it, i.e., in a 10-point scale for humanity, most people can change about 2 points one way or the other but that is about it.
He recounts a story that whenever he drives by a Krispy Kreme donut store he looks for a red light to see if there are any fresh donuts being made right then. Although he does not frequently splurge on this indulgence, he decided at that moment to enter the store to procure his sinful delight despite the absence of a friendly light to alert him to a new batch of donuts. To his surprise when he entered the store, he saw that a fresh lot just came off the conveyer belt, so he asked the woman working there, “Why didn’t you turn the red light on? I see that you have fresh donuts coming out right now.” She replied, “Well, we have fresh donuts coming off all the time. But whenever we turned the light on, too many customers would come in.” Maxwell thought, “Wow, if the owners would have heard that.”
I like what my mentor said to me, “You can inspire people but you can motivate them.” People that read my blogs want to get better and are naturally inclined toward inspiration. However, those who read these blogs and get nothing out of them may not be easily inspired and they certainly can’t be motivated. That comes from within, deep within. Maxwell recalls that whenever he finishes giving a lecture that someone would come up to him and say, “Wow, that’s the best thing I’ve heard. I’m going to change my life because of it.” He says others would say, “I’ve heard it all before. What a waste of time.” I hear these kinds of remarks at my meetings. I always try my best to get a single, solitary pearl for my patients. I believe that a small pearl can radically change the welfare of my patients in both the short- and long-term, and I find great reward in it.
Back to ducks and eagles… Clearly, some people are very happy to be a duck, but as a leader don’t try to send them to become an eagle. Eagles who are used to soaring will resent you for putting them with ducks, and the ducks will resent you for putting them to do eagle work when they are ducks. Ducks are good creatures; they swim hard and travel long distances slowly but surely. Eagles soar over the waters but really do not steadily progress over the water like a duck. The world is made of ducks and eagles. It is important when you lead to recognize who is a duck and who is an eagle and keep them in their assigned roles. Are you a duck? Are you an eagle? If you are a leader, have you been sending your ducks to eagle school?
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10 Responses to “Leadership Gold Part 5 of 10: Don’t Send Your Ducks to Eagle School”
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Apropos of that, I want to tell you I am happier because I read and absorb these ideas in your blogs. Thank you for all the work and time that goes into preparing them. If that (my being happier due to a blog) seems loopy to someone, maybe they’re inured.
I laughed out loud at the title next to cute picture.
Have FUN in Marble Falls! It’s very pretty there with excellent trees and a great Starbucks built on an incline.
Thanks again from some kinda bird. I don’t know which kind-actually maybe a mockingbird. I’ll tell you why when I see you next week.
cool. i get to see the famous Nord!
funny that out my window right now i see a lot of ducks on lake LBJ. no eagles right now except all my forum buddies. haha.
I always get a lot of great insight out of your blogs. I don’t know exactly what category of bird type I fall into. I’ll have to think about this for a bit. Thanks for all your inspiration. I can’t tell you how encouraging you are! The world needs more enthusiastic people like you!
I hope you’re having a great time on your trip!
thanks heather. so glad that i am reaching people out there. really appreciate your responses, comments, thoughts, and contributions! having a good time at my retreat.
You know, we’ve got tons of bald eagles here in the Vancouver area! I’m talking of the real birds here – i.e. not bald guys:)
I’m afraid, I have to admit I’m naturally more of a duck – swim hard and travel long distances slowly but surely – yup, that sounds like moi. Although I wouldn’t want to be put in the eagle position all the time, it has happened more than once, and surprisingly, I did enjoy this new feeling at the time. But overall, I think I prefer my duck-status – quackquackquack:)
haha. i like ducks too. they are important. quack quak!
sorry, misspelled quack! lol!
Thank you so much. I needed that, as I spent the day taking our Youth group to the Dallas World Aquarium with my husband and have been digesting the days events. All the comments and outlooks my Sunday school girls exhibited, what their spirit was or wasn’t, some were soooo sweet. I’ve been searching for how I might help them, what their needs may be and really where to go from here.
Your Ducks/Eagles really was inspiring and truly needed for my “such a time as this”. Thank you! You probably helped me to NOT be dissapointed when some don’t want to grow, but instead are content and happy with where they are. It reminded me to give my all, but to try not to be dissapointed if there are any who do not “choose” to soar through this life. Funny, probably the ones who soar could take lessons on being more content and not so driven.
I sure hope the Lord will help/use me to inspire these young girls though, I will take the 2% (any growth really). Because of your article, I will hopefully take it gladly now.
I was thinking, if you ever were to not be able to physically perform your “gift/majic”, you could EASILY be a TRUE counsleor. You would be an American Icon of a counselor.
Thanks for your article.
thanks kimberly. it is actually something i want to incorporate into my practice, more specifically to be a public speaker as a motivational speaker. glad it helped!