1. Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!
I was intrigued a few weeks ago when I came across a simple statement in a
Ken Blanchard book on leadership. It said, “Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!”
Without going into too much detail, the point of the quote and the text that
followed hit on a memorable point: “Differentiate yourself from others. Don't
be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and whine. Eagles soar above the
crowd.”
If you search online for this quote, you will find that most hits direct you to a
story of a cab driver who achieves financial freedom and success through
choosing the “eagle approach” to customer service. It’s a great little story,
but not what I am going to share with you today.
Today I want to explain what this quote can mean to you personally and how
it relates to Toastmasters. The first time I read the quote, without even
reading the explaining text, it struck a chord inside me. It said, “Obviously
there are two choices here, to be a duck or an eagle.”
Then I thought, there is a reason that these birds are compared. We all
know that ducks are small and noisy and usually travel in flocks. Eagles, on
the other hand, are large, regal and quiet, and are most often observed in
solitude.
Besides their physical and social attributes, these birds can be compared on
what they represent symbolically. The eagle is the symbol of our nation,
chosen by our forefathers for its supremacy and always shown in the stance
of flight, with wings extended. The duck is fabled in many languages for
being silly or strange - even in our own culture in the form of characters like
Disney’s Daffy Duck.
But there is an even more abstract difference between the two – one that is
inherent in the characteristics between the two birds and even in the
characteristics between people. Ducks represent a widespread approach to
life, where a person chooses to flock to others and to quack and complain
about their problems or misfortunes – solving very little.
Eagles, however, are resolute in their endeavors. Like people with the
unique combination of patience and voracity, they ensure that they achieve
their objectives – even if it is just to scoop prey off the ground without the
2. slightest pause in flight! Eagles have an innate responsibility to soar and
protect the sky. Just like “eagle people” have an instinctive obligation to lift
themselves and others.
Without even realizing it, we are given many opportunities to become
eagles. It is through our community, through our church, and even through
Gem City Forum that we can be called to rise beyond our normal quacking
and become leaders.
With our officer spots being selected tonight, let’s look toward spreading our
wings and taking flight in our obligations as members. Thank you eagles for
your dedication and for your support in maintaining our Gem City Forum.
Thank you also for being models for each other and for me, so that we can
continue to grow and reach our goals.
