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WORK TITLE: Why Make Eagles Swim?
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Bellaire
STATE: MI
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmunncoaching/ * https://greenleafbookgroup.com/titles/why-make-eagles-swim
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married.
EDUCATION:Miami University, B.S., 1967; Michigan State University, M.B.A., 1969.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Bill Munn Management Coaching, Bellaire, MI, owner, 1990—. Worked for O-I in various positions, 1974-90.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Bill Munn has been a management coach for almost thirty years. He feels that too much attention is placed on fixing weaknesses and not enough attention is put on using the innate strengths we all have. He feels that so much attention is placed on improving the things we struggle with, we forget about the gifts we already have. In 2016 Munn wrote Why Make Eagles Swim? Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership & Life. The title refers to the fact that the eagle does not need to focus on his swimming abilities, because he is already a master of flying.
Munn lists many attributes that the reader can use to discover his/her individual strengths. Some of these include: Achiever, one who is motivated by accomplishment; Commander, who is motivated by recognition; Communicator, a person who is talented at getting his or her point across; Conceptual, one who is able to find clarity in complexity; Creator, one who is motivated by exploiting new ideas; Developer, who is talented at improving the performance of others; Reconciler, who is motivated by harmony and avoiding conflict; and many others. He contrasts the eagle and the loon, pointing out that they each have their own strengths—the eagle is more skilled at swooping down and finding its prey, while the loon can wade and swim to the fish. Determining in which category people fit enables them to make the best use of their talents.
A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote: “Although the tone can be self-congratulatory, this is a well-thought-out and helpful call for readers to focus their attention on what they’ve already got going for them.” A Coach Case Book Web site reviewer was impressed both by Munn’s book and by his “attribute inventory,” commenting: “Munn also explores how different attributes can influence communications. Particularly well covered is the exploration of attributes in the sales and leadership domain and the alignment of attributes to differing occupations. Why Make Eagles Swim? then is another great book that offers insight into identifying the strengths of individuals and helping them exploit those strengths in both work and life.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, August 1, 2016, review of Why Make Eagles Swim? Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership & Life, p. 59.
ONLINE
Coach Case Book, http://www.coachcasebook.com (October 15, 2016), review of Why Make Eagles Swim?*
WHY MAKE EAGLES SWIM?
EMBRACING NATURAL STRENGTHS IN LEADERSHIP & LIFE
Bill Munn & Libby Cortez
Stop wasting time “fixing” your so-called weaknesses. And start leveraging the powerful ways you’re already innately great!
Bill Munn says the key to maximizing performance is already planted within us—and within everyone around us—in the inherent strengths we often ignore while we focus on overcoming so-called weaknesses. This bias toward improving on negatives gets in the way of our ability to fully excel in our work life and at home. We devalue our innate strengths in part because we take our gifts for granted, and in part because we’ve been conditioned to focus on getting good at things we struggle with, at the expense of excelling in the ways we're intrinsically great. An eagle doesn’t need to put energy toward improving his swimming skills because he is a natural master of soaring. Munn explains, with heart and authority, how we can live like the eagle, finding true success as we focus on our gifts—and help those we manage do the same.
Munn provides a selection of specific traits (Creator, Decisive, Developer, among others) and tools to help readers identify unique strengths in themselves and others. He follows with techniques that help us nurture our strongest gifts—our power-alley attributes—and better grow and manage teams according to the group’s overall attribute profile. With his advice, we kick unproductive habits to the curb and experience the power of our personal best. Munn presents tactics for recognizing and appreciating power-alley traits in others as well as insights into the power and pitfalls of each attribute, the best and worst attribute pairings, which attributes fit with specific job functions, and more.
Munn’s book speaks to those seeking to improve their teams and their leadership skills, as well as to any person who wants to leverage his or her own natural gifts while better understanding, engaging, and nurturing others.
Bill Munn is a management-coaching veteran of twenty-six years and former top-level executive of a Dow 30 and Fortune 500 company.
Bill Munn is a leadership coach, speaker, and former Dow 30 executive with an MBA and a professorship in economics. With his twenty-six year coaching career combined with his background in time management, team-building tactics, and corporate development, Munn expertly explains his insightful theme that true success lies in focusing on one’s inherent gifts.
Bill Munn
Management Coach
Bill Munn Management Coaching Michigan State University
Bellaire, Michigan 267 267 connections
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Helps executives manage teams to their greatest potential, customizing coaching plans to maximize the performance of each individual. Through strategic visioning and in-the-moment issue resolution, he motivates leadership to spur mission-driven growth. As a 22-year management-coaching veteran and former Dow 30 top executive, Bill has supported hundreds of corporate leaders worldwide with practical wisdom, real-world action tools, and unbiased insight. An MBA and former professor of finance and economics, Bill is a dynamic public speaker and published author. Learn more at www.billmunncoaching.com. See lessSee less of undefined summary
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Bill’s Articles & Activity
267 followers
Your Biggest Source of Waste
Bill Munn on LinkedIn
Publish dateMarch 24, 2016
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I so appreciate Harvard Business Review's intellectual honesty in this research, which reveals that it is a mix of ATTRIBUTES that makes a true difference in team performance.
Bill shared
You can’t control circumstances (or people) who create negative stimuli in life. But you CAN control your response. Practice, just like exercise, helps build this “response muscle” so you can better mange it. But how can you practice? Try it when you’re driving. Someone cuts you off, runs a light, lays on their horn, and you feel yourself heating up. So try a peaceful murmur - something like, “I’m sorry she’s having such a bad day.” The more you rehearse this control in such removed situations, the better you’ll handle more direct negative stimuli that come your way.
Bill shared
As my wife & changed our road-trip route this week to circumvent big storms, discovering unexpectedly great spots all along the new route, I was reminded of how often adversity leads to more good than bad. The key is to recognize it for what it is & pay attention - both as you weather the storms and as you reflect on the results.
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Experience
Bill Munn Management Coaching
Management Coach
Company NameBill Munn Management Coaching
Dates Employed1990 – Present Employment Duration27 yrs 3 mos
Specializes in people-management issues, helping executives lead teams to their greatest potential. Services include personalized team assessment & development, customized visioning programs, in-the-moment issue resolution, real-world tools for action and accountability, and much more.
See less See less about Management Coach, Bill Munn Management Coaching
O-I
VP, Division General Manager
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1983 – 1990 Employment Duration7 yrs
See description See more about VP, Division General Manager, O-I
O-I
VP, Sales & Marketing
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1980 – 1983 Employment Duration3 yrs
See description See more about VP, Sales & Marketing, O-I
O-I
National Sales Manager
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1978 – 1980 Employment Duration2 yrs
O-I
General Sales Manager, Chicago
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1975 – 1978 Employment Duration3 yrs
O-I
National Sales Training Manager
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1974 – 1975 Employment Duration1 yr
O-I
Sales Representative
Company NameO-I
Dates Employed1971 – 1974 Employment Duration3 yrs
Central Michigan University
Instructor, Finance & Economics
Company NameCentral Michigan University
Dates Employed1969 – 1970 Employment Duration1 yr
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Education
Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Degree Name Master of Business Administration (MBA) Field Of Study International Marketing
Dates attended or expected graduation 1968 – 1969
Miami University
Miami University
Degree Name BS Field Of Study Business
Dates attended or expected graduation 1963 – 1967
Featured Skills & Endorsements
Leadership See 20 endorsements for Leadership 20
Colleen Wade and 19 connections have given endorsements for this skill
Management See 14 endorsements for Management 14
Casey Cortez and 13 connections have given endorsements for this skill
Leadership Development See 11 endorsements for Leadership Development 11
Colleen Wade and 10 connections have given endorsements for this skill
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Accomplishments
Bill has 2 publications2
Publications
See publication Why Make Eagles Swim? : Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership and Life
publication titleWhy Make Eagles Swim? : Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership and Life
publication descriptionStop wasting time “fixing” so-called weaknesses, and start leveraging the powerful ways you’re already innately great.
Author Bill Munn says that the key to maximizing performance is already planted within us—and within everyone around us—in the inherent strengths that we often ignore or fail to recognize while we focus on overcoming our so-called weaknesses. An eagle doesn’t need to put energy toward improving his swimming skills, because he is already a master of flying and diving. Munn explains, with heart and authority, how we too can find success by focusing on our inherent gifts—and by helping those we manage do the same.
publication descriptionGreenleaf Book Group Press
publication dateOct 18, 2016
Authors
Bill MunnLibby Cortez
See publication Lead or Be Led: A Guide to Intentional Living
publication titleLead or Be Led: A Guide to Intentional Living
publication descriptionPicture yourself in the book store, looking at a title in the Self Help or Management section which states triumphantly “8 MILLION COPIES SOLD!” You would probably be impressed. But what if you read “8 MILLION COPIES SOLD (but only 3 lives changed)”? Your reaction would be less enthusiastic.
In fact, this is often the case. We do a seminar. We read a book. When we’re finished, we say, “GREAT! That’s really good stuff!” Then we go home and return to our daily lives. By next Wednesday, we are operating exactly the same way as before.
How does this happen? Why do we not change our day-to-day lives to reflect the material that so impressed us?
Lead or Be Led is not a how-to guide to living your life, but rather a road map offering specific implementation tools that will help you manage the details of your life and achieve your goals. This methodology not only allows you to control major aspects of your life (e.g., work, education, and your dreaded to-do list), but gives you the ability to rein in the trickiest and often most ambiguous tasks, including
Articulating your life’s vision
Categorizing, defining, and prioritizing your goals
Staying accountable to yourself and others
In Lead or Be Led, you will learn the secrets of understanding your passions, unveiling your goals, and using the proper implementation tools to gain momentum and start living on purpose.
publication descriptionRooftop Publishing
publication date2006
Authors
Bill Munn
QUOTED: Although the tone can be self-congratulatory, this is a well-thought-out and helpful call for readers to focus their attention on what they've already got going for them.
Why Make Eagles Swim? Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership and Life
Publishers Weekly. 263.31 (Aug. 1, 2016): p59.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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Full Text:
Why Make Eagles Swim? Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership and Life
Bill Munn, with Libby Cortez. Greenleaf Book Group, $22.95 (216p) ISBN 978-1-62634-8
In this friendly, upbeat call to focus on one's existing strengths rather than struggling to salvage one's weaknesses, 45-year management coach Munn exhorts readers to stop wasting time, both in the corporate world and in their personal lives. Munn helps businesspeople find their own "attribute profile[s]," those "natural, inborn strengths" that are second nature; he also speaks to coaching teams and helps coworkers find their own strengths. As presented in this book, attributes aren't skills or knowledge; they're natural gifts and inherent traits. These attributes fall into a number of categories, including conceptual, decisive, orderly, persuasive, and responsible. Munn's at his strongest when arguing against the "myth of well-roundedness." According to him, it's just as important to understand others' gifts as one's own, and the book delves deeply into working with others. Although the tone can be self-congratulatory, this is a well-thought-out and helpful call for readers to focus their attention on what they've already got going for them. (Oct.)
QUOTED: Munn also explores how different attributes can influence communications. Particularly well covered is the exploration of attributes in the sales and leadership domain and the alignment of attributes to differing occupations.
Why Make Eagles Swim? then is another great book that offers insight into identifying the strengths of individuals and helping them exploit those strengths in both work and life.
Book Review: Why Make Eagles Swim by Bill Munn
Posted on 15/10/2016
eaglesswimFor those of you that have read my other reviews, you will know that I am an advocate of helping people find their talents and focus on developing them to the achieve their highest potential. Bill Munn’s book, Why Make Eagles Swim?: Embracing Natural Strengths in Leadership & Life typifies this approach and provides the reader with some excellent insights into key performance attributes and how they can be applied to develop both the individual and the team that you are leading.
Munn highlights the need to focus on talents by comparing the hunting styles of 2 birds. The Loon and the Eagle…
commonloon
If an eagle walks the shoreline looking for fish, it is not going to be as effective in this style of hunting as a Loon, which can wade and swim to where the fish are.
eagle
Generations of adaptation have provided the Loon with the attributes to swim and fish and this has made the Loon a success at fishing in this manner. The eagle has an entirely different set of attributes and even if it could swim, it isn’t well suited to the swimming and fishing style of hunting. It needs to be a winged hunter to maximise the return on its attributes. People are very similar. They could work to develop a weaker attribute, but they are more likely to thrive when they yoke their strengths and focus where their attributes are.
Following this approach, Munn has provided us with a list of the features, an ‘attribute inventory’, which he explores in the remainder of the book. These are:
Achiever – Motivated by accomplishment
Commander – Motivated by recognition
Communicator – Talented at getting their point across
Conceptual – Able to find clarity in complexity
Creator – Motivated by exploiting new ideas
Decisive – Motivated by being in charge
Developer – Talented at improving the performance of others
Learner – Motivated by gaining knowledge and ideas
Logician – Talented at structured thinking
Orderly – focused on detail rather than concepts
Persuasive – Talented in gaining agreement
Reconciler – Motivated by harmony and avoiding conflict
Relational – Talented in understanding how others feel
Responsible – Motivated by delivering on the commitment
Having identified your talents (Munn’s website offers a tool for this here) we now have a variety of ways in which to exploit and apply them. As a leader or a manager, understanding the attributes and considering them as you watch your people will allow you to identify them in both individuals and teams.
Munn groups attributes based on how strong they are for the individual…In power alley, there are attributes that you struggle not to do, whereas there will be traits that are not at all natural to you.
As an individual, you will look to exploit your ‘Power Alley’ attributes and find others to compensate for your weaknesses with their strengths. As a leader or manager, you will look to build a team that has complementary attributes so that you have a balanced team with few if any areas of weakness. Munn provides a matrix to assist in this task.
Munn also explores where contrasting attributes may cause problems and tension in a team. Having this awareness will allow potential problems to be considered and addressed prior to the friction becoming a problem.
Munn also explores how different attributes can influence communications. Particularly well covered is the exploration of attributes in the sales and leadership domain and the alignment of attributes to differing occupations.
Why Make Eagles Swim? then is another great book that offers insight into identifying the strengths of individuals and helping them exploit those strengths in both work and life.
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