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