Zig Ziglar
A talented author and speaker, Zig Ziglar has an appeal that transcends barriers of age, culture and occupation. Since 1970, he has traveled over five million miles across the world delivering powerful life improvement messages, cultivating the energy of change.
Articles by this Author
Raising Leaders
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 03/11/2010
- Leadership
- Unrated
It has often been said that you don’t develop leaders or champions on feather
beds. The “eagle approach” works best. Eagles build their nests high on
mountains, exposed to the first rain, the first snow, the strongest winds. Leadership
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 02/19/2010
- Leadership
- Unrated
It’s a fact that men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of
power are feared -but only men of character are trusted. Integrity is the key. Leaders Are Communicators
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 02/3/2010
- Leadership
- Unrated
There is an old saying, “That which can be misunderstood will be
misunderstood.” This resolution, passed by the Board of Councilmen in Canton,
Mississippi, in the mid-1800s brings that into focus. “Number one: Resolved by
this Council that we build a new jail. Number two: Resolved that the new jail
be built out of the materials of the old jail. Resolved that the old jail be
used until the new jail is finished.”
Concentrate On Your Responsibilities
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 01/20/2010
- Personal Growth
- Unrated
From time to time I have the privilege of speaking to university and
professional football teams. On other occasions, I have an opportunity to speak
to coaches at local high school and college levels. On one of these occasions,
I heard former University of Texas coach John Mackovic make an interesting
observation which I believe is applicable, regardless of your field of
endeavor. Frustration!
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 01/15/2010
- Personal Growth
- Unrated
Let’s talk about frustration. I read an article that quoted Professor Robert E.
Bidwell of the University of Dayton’s School of Business. He says that while
frustration is a daily event for most of us, we’re not trained to handle
frustration. Why People Have No Goals Program
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 01/9/2010
- Goal Setting
- Unrated
Everyone has individual goals but only about 3% have a well-balanced goals program. An individual goal could be something as simple
as getting to work on time or losing ten pounds. It could be a negative goal
like getting the next fix or the next drink. A goals program is an entirely
different matter. There are many reasons people do not have a goals program. One
major reason is an unrealistic or imagined fear which causes one to believe that
his/her efforts will produce failure, so it is “safer” not to try.
Out Of The Ashes
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 12/30/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
Many times disasters and/or tragedies spawn incredible accomplishments and
enormous progress. A tornado in August of 1883 devastated Rochester, Minnesota,
and yet from those ashes came the world-famous Mayo Clinic. Hope In The Future
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 12/9/2009
- Personal Growth
- Unrated
Dr. John Maxwell says that if there’s hope in the future there is power in the
present. The reason is simple: If there is hope in the future, that has a
dramatic impact on your thinking today.
Secrets of the Rich and Famous
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 11/22/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
According to Lisa Lee Freeman, writing in The Investor’s Business
Daily, Malcolm Forbes, Jr., keeps an updated to-do list on his desk at all
times. Healthdyne Chief Executive Parker Petit keeps one folded up in a pocket
so it’s with him wherever he goes. The list is endless of the people who keep
those to-do lists handy. In your own life, you probably remember that you get
more done the day before vacation because you make a list of the things to do
the night before that day before vacation.
Appearance Counts
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 11/5/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
According to a study I read, the way we look has a direct bearing on our
paycheck. Employment data from 7,000 adults was analyzed. Interviewers divided
the group according to looks and then compared what those working similar jobs
in each category were paid. Those who were below average in appearance earned
less than those rated “average.” Those who rated average earned less than those
who were rated “above average.”
Get To Or Got To?
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 10/29/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
Every morning for several years, promptly at 10:00 a.m., a prominent business
woman visited her mother in a nursing home. She was close to her mother and
loved her very much. Often she had requests for appointments at that time of
day. Her response was always the same...
Leaders Are Managers
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 10/21/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
Richard Kerr of United Technologies Corporation explains the difference
between leadership and management: “Leaders clearly know that people
don’t want to be managed, they want to be led. Whoever heard of a
‘world manager’? ‘World leader’? Yes. Educational leaders, political
leaders, religious leaders, Scout leaders, community leaders, labor
leaders, business leaders - they lead, they don’t manage. The carrot
always wins over the stick. Ask the horse. You can lead your horse to
water, but you can’t manage him to drink. If you want to manage
somebody, manage yourself. Do that well and you’ll be ready to stop
managing and start leading. After all, if you can’t manage yourself,
how can you legitimately expect to manage others?”
Zig On…Leaders Are Managers (Part One of a Two-Part Series)
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 10/14/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
Today we hear a lot of discussion, read a lot of articles and look at an amazing number of books on
leadership and managing. They are different functions, but leaders
need to know a great deal about managing and managers need to know a
lot about leading. The greater part of all U.S. companies are
comprised of fewer than 100 people. The overwhelming majority of those
employ less than fifty. This means that the roles of leader and
manager often fall on the same shoulders. It is, therefore, imperative
that each knows something about leading and managing. This is also
true in the family.
Zig On…Win/Win Negotiations
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 10/8/2009
- Marketing
- Unrated
Virtually everything involves some sales or negotiation skills.
Negotiations are easier if we come from a position of power - having
complete confidence in our product. It’s also nice to have an “ace in
the hole” (a persuasive bargaining chip) that enables us to influence
the other party in a positive way.
Living with Integrity
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 09/24/2009
- Lifestyle-Image
- Unrated
”What I do is who I am” Chris Schenkel. Several years ago I heard
about an ad placed in a sports magazine advising hunters how not to
scatter their shots. The ad said, “For one dollar we’ll give you that
information.” Many people sent their dollar and the advice was, “Just
use one shot.” While the ad was deceptive, and I’m certain many of the
respondents were irritated at being taken in, the advice was good.
You Start With An Apology
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 09/24/2009
- Personal Growth
- Unrated
I was raised during the Depression by a widowed mother with six
children too young to work. Things were tough financially. Each one
of us did what we could to make our contribution. Five milk cows, some
fruit trees and a large garden provided most of our food. My brothers
and I all got part-time jobs in a grocery store. My sisters worked in
small department stores. Does talent always prevail?
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 09/24/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
Champions invariably have fervent philosophical beliefs. Philosophy, in its simplest terms, means “the love of wisdom.” Peter Vidmar
is a lover of wisdom. His philosophy is “There is always fear. The
trick is not to eliminate it, but to overcome it.” Peter finished his
successful career at the 1984 Olympic Games...
Zig On…Problem Solving
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 08/19/2009
- Stress Management
- Unrated
Fortunately, problems are an everyday part of our life. Consider this:
If there were no problems, most of us would be unemployed.
Realistically, the more problems we have and the larger they are, the
greater our value to our employer.
Relationships by Zig Ziglar
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 08/12/2009
- Relationships
- Unrated
I demand my rights! Evidence is solid that the better we get along
with the folks at home (especially our mate), the more likely we are to
be successful on the job. Unfortunately, there is also substantial
proof that in far too many homes there is a signed truce at best and
open warfare at worst. The following thoughts identify the problem and
offer a solution.
Be Kind and Listen
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 08/5/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
It has been said that it’s nice to be important, but it’s more
important to be nice. Another “oldie” is the fact that when you’re
talking you’re not learning; it’s only when you listen that you learn. This Way To Greatness
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 07/22/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
My friend and fellow speaker, Joe Sabah, says that you don’t have to be
great to start, but you have to start to be great. This is a profound
observation and applies regardless of your field of endeavor. It
brings to mind the story of one skinny, sickly young man who truly was
the “97-pound weakling” when he was in high school. He wore thick
glasses, arch supports and a shoulder brace. His self-image was so
poor and his concern about his appearance so great that he dropped out
of school. His future did not look good. Overcoming Fear
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 07/14/2009
- Personal Success , Public Speaking
- Unrated
Fear has been correctly identified with the acrostic False Evidence
Appearing Real. The truth is that if we think something is to be
feared, that perception becomes the cruelest form of reality...
Failure is Critical to Success
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 07/7/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
“You’ve got to learn to lose in order to win” sounds like strange
advice, but the man who says it has earned over three hundred million
dollars. Even in today’s economy, that’s a considerable sum of money.
Here’s the story...
Zig On…Why Worry?
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 07/1/2009
- Personal Growth
- Unrated
Worry has been described as “interest paid on trouble before it comes
due.” One of America’s worst enemies is worry. Worry is like a
rocking chair, it requires a lot of energy and it gets you nowhere.
Leo Buscaglia said, “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only
saps today of its joy.”
Zig On… Doing the Impossible
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 06/19/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
Where will the records stop? In 1954 Roger Bannister ran a
sub-four-minute mile and it ignited the athletic world. In 1994,
Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland, at age 41, ran a sub-four-minute mile.
Incredibly enough, Kip Keino of Ethiopia, at age 55, ran a 4.06 mile.
The fastest mile run to date [when this column was originally written]
is 3:43.13 accomplished by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco...
Stress - Good or Bad?
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 06/11/2009
- Lifestyle-Image
- Unrated
The dictionary says that stress is “to force or drive.” It’s “urgency,
pressure, importance.” It’s “focus, concentration of attention, to
emphasize.” When we look at the entire dictionary definition of
stress, we learn that stress can be either good or bad. Zig On…Those “Good Ol’ Days”
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 06/3/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
A popular joke goes like this: A former athlete (teacher, preacher,
coach, etc.) laughingly says, “The older I get, the better I was!”
There’s more truth than fiction in that statement and, in a way, that’s
good. It certainly indicates the person is looking back and thinking
of the good things instead of the negatives of life. That kind of
attitude will ensure not only a longer life, but a happier and
healthier one to boot!
Zig On…Discipline
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 05/27/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
Discipline is the key. The 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary defines
“discipline” this way: “To instruct or educate; to inform the mind; to
prepare by instructing in correct principles and habits; as, to
discipline youth for a profession, or for future usefulness. To
instruct and govern; to teach rules and practice, and accustom to order
and subordination. To advance and prepare by instruction.” Bob
Richards, the Olympic pole-vault champion, says that you will never
find a champion who does not discipline himself. Roy Smith says that
discipline is “the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.” Taking Risks
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 05/20/2009
- Personal Success
- Unrated
The entrepreneur is alive and well. Sometimes a big loss can be the
catalyst for an even bigger gain. Many years ago, farmers in Delta and
Montrose County, Kansas, lost a big barley-growing contract which put
their future in question. The farming industry had suffered numerous
reverses. Inflation, high interest rates and other factors had
substantially reduced the number of farms. The situation was serious
so the governor sent his economic team to preach value-added
agriculture. John Harold, a local farmer and well-known figure,
decided to take a gamble and bet on Olathe sweet corn. It’s truly a
case of taking the proverbial lemon and making lemonade. In 1985 they
shipped 12,568 boxes of corn. In 1994, they shipped a half-million
cases. How did it happen?
Leadership
- By Zig Ziglar
- Published 05/12/2009
- Leadership
- Unrated
A team of all-stars or an all-star team? When my wife and I were in
Sydney, Australia, we had an opportunity to attend a performance of the
Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra at the famed Opera House. The seats were
choice, our night was free, so we jumped at the opportunity. When we
arrived 30 minutes early, the orchestra members were already warming
up. The individuals came in all sizes, ages and colors, and were both
male and female. Some of them, like the cymbals player, would perform
five or six seconds during the entire evening, while the cellist had
one part that would extend over 20 minutes. As they warmed up, the
“music” sounded like noise to me.

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