EAGLE VISION
LEADING WITH A BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Here we are, faced with the question of whether we should run with the crowd or walk the road less traveled? I will admit running with the crowd and doing what everyone is doing appears to have its advantages - there is safety in numbers. Going along with the crowd allows you to stay under the radar, never being identified as unique or ‘different’ and allows you to rely heavily on the gifts and talents of others, never having to take the risk of others seeing you fail. These appear to be great benefits right? Well, I am not sure whether these are advantages or disadvantages. It makes me question if blending in with the crowd brings opportunities or if it is a subtle, unconscious way designed to stunt your growth. This is where truth must enter the picture. If you want to be a leader who impacts others in a way that reaches beyond the surface of their soul, you will have to stand out. You must learn to lead from a bird’s eye view. But not just any bird, the Eagle.
There is a level of safety and predictability associated with being and doing what is common. My question to you is: Is common what you really want to be? I am going to take a risk and say, that because you have gotten this far in reading this article, your answer is most likely ‘no’. You recognize you were not born to be common, nor were you born to ‘run with the pack’. You were born to stand out, to lead and truly “see”. J. Oswald Sanders said it so eloquently, “Eyes that look are common, eyes that see are rare.” Eagle vision is rare. You were born to be rare. There are so many people who can look but very few can actually see. To “look” means to direct your eyes in a particular direction. To “see” is to become aware of, or have insight and foresight into something. Many people have the ability to fixate their eyes on something but so few have the ability to see beyond the surface. Leading with a bird’s eye view requires you to position yourself above the rest. Not from the viewpoint of thinking you are better than others, but from the perspective of knowing that in order to move beyond your current circumstances you must possess the ability to see past what you are looking at. You must see past the current fact and recognize the ultimate truth.
Eagle Vision is about looking into the future to see what the end result will be and making your decisions from that frame of reference. If you do this, you strategically place yourself in a position where you will accomplish your goals and experience success. That is not to say challenges won’t arise, but true vision is about keeping the end in mind from the beginning throughout the entire process. Your ability to clearly see your destination enhances your chances in
getting there. Without clear vision you are liable to end up anywhere. Your ability to see beyond your current circumstance is critical to whether or not you will die, survive or thrive.
Another thing about vision is that it is yours. Too often we give our power away. I am convinced many of us use the word can’t, not because we have always inherently believed we can’t, but because others have somehow convinced us our goals are impossible to reach. When I started my company, Within Your Reach it was based on the principle that your desires are within your reach because you have everything you need inside you to make it possible. Of course there is a process and some fine tuning may need to take place, but with perseverance and in due time, your dreams can become reality.
In order to lead with a bird’s eye view, more specifically, Eagle Vision, having clear vision is necessary for the process but it is important to know that the clarity you seek must begin within. This is what causes many leaders to become stagnant. So often they are focused on external success and fail to recognize that strength and power manifests itself when you first open yourself to become an evergreen student who now takes her lessons to help catapult others to their next level.
This doesn’t come easy. Here is what can appear to be the down side of leading with bird’s eye view:
• You will never fit in with the crowd no matter how hard you try.
• You will not always be valued for the unique qualities you possess.
• You may experience loneliness, as eagle are rare.
• Those you lead will challenge you because they only see things from ground level.
But don’t look at these as obstacles. View these as opportunities to tap into and hone the skills needed to take you to levels beyond your wildest dreams.
Leading with a bird’s eye view means you have the ability to easily perceive, understand, or interpret at a deeper level. It is about living beyond the status quo and moving beyond your comfort zone. It has more to do with your internal thought process than your external circumstances. It is about your ability to see what the average person cannot; to exude courage, stand firm on what is right even in the face of wrong and the ability to stand, even when you feel your knees buckling under the pressure.
Leading a bird’s eye view will always take you further than most. It will always yield joy during the process (if you can embrace it) and certainly in the end.