You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School: And Other Simple Truths of Leadership

by Mac Anderson

An inspiring must-read leadership development book for new managers, seasoned leaders, or anybody in an HR or customer service role. An essential part of being a successful leader is hiring and utilizing the right people who truly represent your company's values. And whatever skills are needed to do the job can be taught and honed into expertise. But no matter how great a manager you are, there are some things you cannot desire, personality and drive. In You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School , Mac Anderson shares his best lessons learned from more than forty years of leadership experience in a fresh and engaging way. You'll learn how to hire great people, communicate with your team, and create a culture that's successful ― and fun. A great resource for any leader, this is one of the best leadership books out there that provides the simple truths of managing teams in a quick, one-hour read. Read it today and put it into action tomorrow. Looking for a team gift, employee gift, or thank you gift for coworkers? You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School is a great way to say thanks for a job well done, while inspiring your coworkers to develop their own leadership skills.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Inspirational, Audiobook

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago and just pulled it out again. It’s a super fast, short book with leadership tips. Good reminders for sure

[Dunori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another alternative work “assignment” during covid-19. I just learned that there is an accompanying DVD from reading the description on here because it was given to us/me without it and no mention of it in the book. I won’t lose sleep over not seeing it though because the book didn’t make it into my favorites and I have a sense of certainty that the DVD wouldn’t change that. It was still ok though... different than any other workplace motivation book that I’ve read thus far which thanks to my job is steadily increasing. I can imagine anyone with a stressful desk job keeping it close to their keyboard and when a moment of stress emerges, for them to randomly flip to a page in the book to help mentally make it through the rest of that particular day. I am not that person though and therefore my appreciation of it can only go but so far.

[Omar El-Mohri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read with some good advice and references.
I can't see how to connect the title and the content, a marketing title maybe.

[Naila Foister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 10 was an itsy bitsy one but well worth the read.

You Cant Send a Duck to Eagle School by Mac Anderson.

The key points in this book aren't rocket science but Anderson did a great job at simplifying the concepts into succinct lessons.

It amazes me that I see so many businesses every day doing the opposite of what we know works to make a business thrive... it floors me that as you get higher up in management (in many companies, not all) it is like they've totally burned these simple lessons out of their minds.

Unfortunate and depressing, but I guess that's why finding a great job with great management is such a diamond find... and one we shouldn't ever take for granted.

[Andrea Tincher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick read that can help with motivation for new leadership positions. Although, i felt like each story could have been elaborated on a touch more to really drive the points home. Overall i enjoyed it, plan for use for quick references.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best leadership books I've read, and I've read hundreds! It contained such simplistic yet profound truths.

One of my favorite quotes was, "if your company's mission is to climb a tree, which would you rather do: hire a squirrel or train a horse?"

I loved this book!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reminder for leaders with a bit of training/experience under their belts. Great starting place if you're interested in becoming a good leader but don't have a ton of time to read. Couple hours to read if you're taking your time.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, good qoutes.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some good quotes about leadership and how to motivate people.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal little tid-bits that help keep me focused!

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit of a let down. High on the cliques.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pithy book for managers. It contains lots of truths and was easy to read.

[Drew Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read with great quotes.

[Veeresh Erched · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and powerful book !!

[Megan Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

QUICK READ. LOTS OF LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS. VERY DIGESTABLE. PLAN TO KEEP THIS BOOK CLOSE AND VISIT FREQUENTLY.

[Carly Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you’re a leader.. read this!

If you’re a leader or aspire to be one, this book is for you! So many great tips on being a successful leader!

[Teerasak · Rating 4 out of 5]

หนังสือเล่มบางๆอ่านจบเร็ว ได้มุมมองจาก case study ที่หยิบยกขึ้นมา

[Brynn Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and eye catching pictures, succinct lessons

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read with reminders of how to be a successful leader. It was great for me to read before the start of another school year!

[Brooke Broadhead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do people think these books actually help anyone

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every leader needs a "pick me up". This is the pick me up.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Can't Send A Duck to Eagle School was an interesting read for anyone trying to hire people for their company due to its simplistic but meaningful way of phrasing thoughts and its engaging examples. It also sets a baseline for what a good leader looks like without overwhelming the reader. Right off the bat the author, Mac, talks about being an attentive leader- asking what the leader could do to help the followers. It's basically stating one should have an open policy toward employees and to listen to others around you. This goes into his next point that, as a leader, being susceptible to change is a good thing. Change brings about growth but you must have clear goals and know yourself. He then talks about marketing, understanding that customers are going to go with their gut in purchases since there's so much information overload now on the internet. That leads to knowing what you want to do, having faith in yourself and your product and again having a vision and putting your all to the manner. In summary, its about having enough passion to go for what you want no matter the obstacle with an attitude of stubborn belief in yourself and the people and things that matter to you.
If you have ever read Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership Through Literature by Joseph Bardaracco then you will see many similarities. Both books have similar ideas to what qualities a good leader like I stated above. However, where Questions of Character has examples through stories that have trial and error type situations, You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School uses thought provoking quotes and his own examples from personal experience as well as others. There were many times while reading that I was struck with the points he made like for, example when he used the quote "In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining who we are." -Max De Pree. He used this quote while making the point that change is good and I had some revelations while reading it about myself.
I have no criticisms about the book. It was short and sweet and followed its own advice by keeping it simple. It's unique in that front since so often I have come across leadership books that are long and sometimes to boring to get through. This book is fun to read since it has so many relatable examples about people we know like Disney or for sports fans, some coaches and so on and so forth. I would most definitely recommend the book to others. In fact, if you haven't read it then you need to stop reading this now and go read that instead! You won't regret it.

[Ella Oktaverina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We need to replace our brain with our heart, because that's often how people make decisions. Studies have proven that the essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action and reason leads to conclusions." - page 14.

Big Bad Wolf Surabaya made me meet this book and I love it. The title itself caught my eyes (of course, you can't send a duck to an Eagle school :")) Bacaan ringan, but not really...

[Katherina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got as a Christmas present. Quick read. Motivational speaker in a book. Mostly quotes and advertisements for other books that he and his friends have written. The message isn't bad, but I could have done without the constant product placement of other books. Get it on sale or borrow from a friend if you really want to read it.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book full of creative ideas on how to become a better leader and person. Each page has small quotes with written explanations regarding the quote. The quotes and explanations pertain to creating a better business or becoming a better leader. Very insightful and inspirational read.

[Shaakirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet and recommended for anyone who manages or hires people. The book was simple, yet very important, because companies often forget they people are our biggest resource!! This is one I’d like to reread every once in a while just for a self-check.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great motivational book on leadership. A quick read that I recommend for any leader looking for some inspiration.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opener

This book really Open my eyes to a lot of values I have been overly be at the workplace and home I'd recommend this book for anybody looking to be a strong leader!!!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Business suggestions. Hire those with good attitudes, the rest will follow. Audiobook was very short, a little more than an hour.

[Suja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I