Why Make Eagles Swim? Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership and Life

Bill Munn believes that we spend too much time in life trying to be something we're not. We undervalue the things we're good at, and obsess over our shortcomings. And we spend a lot of time trying to improve our weaknesses, trying to "fix" what's wrong with ourselves and those around us. 

In his new book, Why Make Eagles Swim?, Munn help us understand why this is folly, and how striving for well-roundedness gets in the way of excellence: 

Here’s some news that shouldn’t be news at all: You’re better than you think you are. So is your team. So are those people in your family you’re always harping on. But instead of being better, you’re spending too much time trying to be—well, something else. Something you’re not built for. Some version of you that you think you’re supposed to be, rather than the best you for which you’re already designed.

Munn has been coaching leaders and teams to head in the other direction, to move toward their strengths, for twenty-five years, and he's now put all that he's learned over that time into this book. And it is different than any other personality and strengths assessments in one very fundamental way:

There’s plenty of stuff out there that hones in on the question of “who am I?” rather than on “how do I tune in to the people around me?” There’s also plenty of advice on how to get better at some behavior that a certain author, speaker, or pundit sees as important. But there’s not enough talk about leveraging the unique attributes that we’re already great at in order to become exceptional—and certainly not enough material exploring the ways we can help others do the same.

Munn not only helps you identify your own unique strengths, he also helps you tune into the attributes of others and provides you with the tools to nurture those strengths. This is the real work of leadership—to not only become the best version of yourself, but to help others do so, as well. 

We all have a limited amount of time and energy, and instead of using it trying to get better at what we're bad at, we should focus on leveraging what we're naturally good at. Munn teaches us how to prioritize our inherent strengths and natural attributes, to use the way we're wired to our advantage. And that is the key to real self-improvement and personal development. Because you can't change who you are, but you can get be the best version of yourself, and Bill Munn can help.

We have 20 copies available.