Eyes on the Storm: What the Eagle Knows About Leading Well

Some say leaders are born. Others say leaders are developed. I believe both can be true. People are born with certain leadership characteristics, and the ones they lack can be cultivated over time.

One of the greatest teachers of leadership is found in nature: the eagle. This matchless bird models traits that, if observed and adopted, can help grow both you and your team.

Here are four powerful leadership characteristics we can learn from the eagle:

1. Vision

Like the eagle, a true leader must have vision. Eagles can see great distances and are known for their ability to look directly into the sun without being blinded. Similarly, as a leader, you must have a focused, forward-looking vision—one that doesn’t waver when challenges arise. Your vision should guide and inspire your team, keeping everyone aligned with your organization’s goals.
Big, clear vision produces big, focused results.

2. Eagles Never Eat Dead Meat

Eagles are not scavengers—they don’t feed on what’s already dead. They hunt and consume only fresh prey. This speaks to initiative and originality. As a leader, you must go where the action is. Seek out fresh ideas, live opportunities, and passionate people. Don’t rely on hand-me-down strategies or stale routines.
Go after what’s alive and growing.

3. Eagles Fly into Storms

When a storm comes, most birds flee for shelter—but not the eagle. It flies directly into the storm, using the wind’s power to rise above it. That’s leadership in action. True leaders don’t run from challenges—they rise to meet them. Storms become tools for elevation and growth.
What others avoid, you use to soar.

4. Gentle Yet Fierce with Their Young

Despite their reputation for power, eagles are incredibly attentive to their young. When it’s time to teach their eaglets to fly, the mother eagle places them on her back, soars high, and then drops away—forcing the eaglet to flap its wings. If it struggles, she catches it and tries again. Eventually, if the eaglet resists learning, she dismantles the nest, giving it nothing to cling to.
That’s real leadership: teaching, training, and duplicating yourself.
True leaders prepare others to fly—even if it means a little tough love.

Leadership isn’t just about strength—it’s about vision, discipline, courage, and care. The eagle reminds us that leading is less about power and more about purpose.

So keep your eyes on the storm, and rise.