Change is never easy. In fact, sometimes it can feel excruciating. Yet, without it, businesses and people stagnate. We wither when we cling too tightly to what once worked but no longer serves us.
One of the most powerful illustrations of this comes from the popular myth of the eagle. The story goes that, at a certain stage in its life, the eagle faces a brutal process of renewal. Its beak becomes too curved to hunt effectively, its talons too dull to grasp prey, and its feathers too heavy for flight. To survive, the eagle retreats to a mountain perch and undergoes a painful transformation. It breaks off its beak against the rocks so a stronger one can grow back. It tears out its own talons so new, sharper ones can emerge. It plucks its old, heavy feathers to make way for fresh plumage. This process takes months and causes immense pain, but it gives the eagle another 30 years of life.
The lesson for us is clear: without change, there is decline. With change, there is renewal.
I have seen this lesson play out time and again in business. Markets shift, consumer behaviors evolve, technology disrupts. What worked yesterday may fail tomorrow. And yet, many leaders cling to outdated processes, legacy products or old structures simply because they are familiar. But, like the eagle, staying the same ensures slow and certain decline.
Here are some reflections for executives facing moments when change feels unavoidable:
- Recognize the signs of decline. Just as the eagle knows when its tools are no longer sharp, leaders must identify when systems, strategies or even teams are past their prime. Decline often shows up in stagnant growth, high turnover or eroding margins. Don’t ignore the signals.
- Accept the pain of transition. Change often means dismantling what you once built — whether it’s an organizational structure, a long-held partnership or a process that has “always worked.” That loss is painful, but avoiding it is more costly.
- Make the jump decisively. Half-hearted change rarely works. Once you know the shift is necessary, commit fully. Just as the eagle must endure months of painful renewal before it can soar again, organizations must give change time to run its course.
- Lead with vision, not fear. During change, teams look to leadership for reassurance. If you model confidence and frame the process as an investment in the future, you inspire resilience in others.
In my own career, some of the most pivotal moments came when I had to “break off the beak” — to abandon old ways of doing business (or even accept the departure of treasured colleagues) that could no longer served my company. Each time, the process was uncomfortable, but on the other side of the tunnel came new growth, stronger opportunities and a longer runway for success.
The truth is that change is not optional. It is inevitable. The only choice we have is whether to embrace it with courage or resist it and risk fading away.
Like the eagle, leaders who endure the pain of transformation gain not only survival but renewed strength and longevity. And in both business and life, that’s what keeps us soaring. ●
Sam Petros is Owner and CEO of Petros Homes Inc.
