| This groundbreaking leadership research by has | | | | Carolina, selling sandwiches to other students to pay |
| received extensive endorsements and enthusiastic | | | | his expenses, and continued to court Jean Abernathy |
| reviews from well-known prominent business, political, | | | | by mail. Zig and Jean were married on Thanksgiving |
| and academic leaders who either participated in the | | | | Day in 1946.The summer after they were married, |
| study or reviewed the research findings. You will | | | | Zig's sandwich business died off. The couple began to |
| discover the proven success habits and secrets of | | | | struggle financially. Zig got a job selling expensive |
| people who, in spite of difficult or life threatening | | | | cookware through dinner parties, but he still had his |
| challenges shaped their own destiny to become | | | | "inferiority complex." That was the case until an |
| successful, effective leaders. The full results of this | | | | important talk and words of encouragement from a |
| research will be presented in the upcoming book by Dr. | | | | respected mentor became the pivotal event that |
| Howard Edward Haller titled "Leadership: View from | | | | changed Zig's entire life. Ziglar proved his mentor right, |
| the Shoulders of Giants."The nine initial prominent | | | | moving from failure to success. But Zig also faced |
| successful leaders who overcame adversity that | | | | many obstacles as a field manager, obstacles that |
| were interviewed included: Dr. Tony Bonanzino, U.S. | | | | were to test him in the extreme.After his sales and |
| Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, U.S. Senator | | | | sales management experiences, Ziglar made a career |
| Daniel Inouye, Dr. John Malone, Larry Pino, U.S. Army | | | | change, focusing his attention on becoming an |
| Major General Sid Shachnow, Dr. Blenda Wilson, and | | | | accomplished public speaker. He had not been |
| Zig Ziglar.The data from the above nine research | | | | attending church regularly, but he returned to it, |
| participants was materially augmented by seven other | | | | becoming a devoted Christian.He described the |
| successful leaders who overcame adversity including: | | | | importance of his embracing Christianity: |
| Jack Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, J. | | | | My greatest help came in the form of my faith when I |
| Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, and Dr. | | | | became a Christian on July 4, 1972. As I came to |
| John Sperling.Additionally, five internationally known and | | | | realize how much God loved me, as a result I loved |
| respected leadership scholars offered their reviews of | | | | myself more and respected myself more. Again, here |
| the leadership research findings including: Dr. Ken | | | | was a factor in my life that made a major |
| Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, | | | | difference.Cavett Roberts, founder of the National |
| and Dr. Meg Wheatley.This is a short biography of one | | | | Speakers Association (NSA), who was one of Zig's |
| of the principal participants who generously contributed | | | | many mentors, persuaded Zig to put his message in |
| their time and insight for this important research into the | | | | writing. He did so. In fact, Zig has now authored |
| phenomenon of how prominent successful leaders | | | | twenty-three books on leadership, personal growth, |
| overcome adversity and obstacles. This Zig Ziglar's | | | | sales, faith, family, and success.I have known Zig Ziglar |
| story:Zig Ziglar was born in 1926, in what he termed | | | | for many years and attended several of his sales |
| "very modest circumstances" to a family that was | | | | training and motivational sessions. One of Zig's |
| "financially challenged in many ways." He was "the | | | | trademark lines sums up his attitude perfectly: "You |
| tenth of twelve children born to a family living in rural | | | | can have everything in life you want if you will just help |
| Mississippi." He lost his father at the age of five. Zig | | | | enough other people get what they want." For as Paul |
| worked from an early age to support his family. He | | | | Harvey is fond of saying "and now for the rest of the |
| shared that he "had what was known as an inferiority | | | | story" read Zig's wonderful and uplifting book "Zig: The |
| complex." Until "Judge" Ziglar's untimely death, he | | | | Autobiography of Zig Ziglar" (2002).Copyright 2006 |
| worked hard in a very depressed economy to provide | | | | © Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.Howard Edward |
| for his large family. Zig said his Papa "was a thoughtful | | | | Haller, Ph.D. |
| man possessed of great confidence. Everyone | | | | Chief Enlightenment Officer |
| respected his intelligence, fairness, and judgment."Two | | | | The Leadership Success Institute |
| days after his father's funeral, Zig's 14-month-old baby | | | | |
| sister also died. Zig's mother decided to move the | | | | Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. is the Chief |
| family to the "big city" of Yazoo City on the Mississippi | | | | Enlightenment Officer of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
| River delta. His mother was well-versed in the Bible | | | | based The Leadership Success Institute. His Doctoral |
| and regularly quoted from it. "My mother was famous | | | | dissertation in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga Univ. |
| for her 'one minute sermons.'"Zig worked his way | | | | included interviews with prominent US leaders in |
| through school, beginning with elementary school and | | | | business, politics & education.The initial nine prominent |
| continuing through his college years. In 1943, Zig joined | | | | leaders who overcame adversity included: Dr. Tony |
| the Naval Air Corps. Zig said, "I never would have had | | | | Bonanzino, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer Hourani, |
| a chance to get into college were it not for the V5 | | | | U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Dr. John Malone, Larry Pino, |
| Program." He continued, "Despite being a poor student, | | | | U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow, Dr. Blenda |
| I did well enough on my [Navy] Air Corps entrance | | | | Wilson, and Zig Ziglar.Then seven more leaders, who |
| exams to be accepted into the | | | | overcame adversity, were interviewed including: Jack |
| Navy's pre-flight training program." He entered Millsap | | | | Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, J. |
| College in July of 1944, as part of the Navy's V5 | | | | Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, and Dr. |
| program for Navy pilots. It was while he was attending | | | | John Sperling.Five internationally known and respected |
| Millsap that he met and started dating Jean | | | | leadership scholars offered their reviews of the Dr. |
| Abernathy.Zig was transferred to the University of | | | | Haller's research findings including: Dr. Ken Blanchard, |
| South Carolina by the Navy. When World War II ended | | | | Jim Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. |
| Zig continued to attend the University of South | | | | Meg Wheatley. |