The Singular Mr. Ziglar -- An Appreciation

Zig Ziglar

I went to see Zig Ziglar yesterday in Philadelphia. I attended a "Get Motivated" seminar, which featured a number of famous speakers, including Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Collin Powell, and even home-boys Charlie Manuel and Cole Hamels of the Phillies and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. But even with this impressive lineup, I attended mostly to see Mr. Ziglar.
To those of us in professional speaking, Zig Ziglar is a giant. He is what Walt Disney is to animation, William Paley is to broadcasting, and Henry Ford is to autos. He almost singlehandedly made speaking and motivation an industry. At 82, the man is truly a legend.
When the emcee introduced Mr. Ziglar, you could see that he is still handsome, dapper as always in his suite and bow tie. I was surprised to see stagehands set up two chairs. I was surprised further when his daughter began speaking on his behalf. (Apparently, in deference to Mr. Ziglar, she never introduced herself, keeping the focus on him.) She went on to explain that due to a fall a few months ago, he has "positional vertigo," meaning that he was unsteady. He is also suffering from short-term memory loss, so he would not give a presentation with the energy and precision we all expect from him. But, she emphasized, he wants to be transparent about these changes as he continues to present his current message, appropriately titled "Embrace the Struggle." So she guided her father through an interview.
He opened by saying that he was the tenth of 12 children, and that he was a better student OUT of school than he was while he was IN school. He still reads three hours each day. He says that he reads the Bible and the newspaper everyday "because we need to know what both sides are up to" -- a comment received with warm and appreciative applause. He also proclaimed his love for America, "the greatest country that ever was," and noted the military people who were in the audience.

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Zig Ziglar remains true to his words,
and he delivered them yesterday with
an innate sincerity.

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Yet, an uncomfortable side to Mr. Ziglar's health surfaced, as he began to repeat himself enthusiastically. He went on to praise life in America four more times, with an enthusiasm and sincerity that emphasized his obliviousness to his redundancy. He talked about the importance of "home court advantage," and how he continues to court "that redhead of mine" (i.e., his wife of 62 years), and told that story three or four more times. He repeated that he was the tenth of 12 children. He praised the military in the audience a few more times. His daughter would firmly and respectfully remind him that, yes, he had covered that, and moved him to the next topic.
His presentation was augmented with video of past performances. In those clips, he talked about the relative importance of money. Yes, money could buy him a big house, but it couldn't buy him a home. It could buy him a companion, but not a friend. A bed, but not a good night's sleep.
Another clip covered his praise of religion, an ongoing theme over his career (he has always been, unabashedly, a Christian). In the video, he asserted, with some vague attribution, that people who "go to church regularly" have less depression, higher incomes and better sex.
While Mr. Ziglar's frailty could have been depressing, an affirmation of the man emerged from it. In his vulnerable time on the stage, he never lost his dignity. His daughter and the audience were always respectful. He was never chided nor derided in any way.
Most important, he was always on message, intuitively and reflexively. In my years in healthcare, I have learned from geriatric physicians that as you age, you become more like your true self. (For example, as Ronald Reagan descended into Alzheimer's disease, he reportedly remained pleasant and affable, even when he didn't know the people around him.) If that is true, then Zig Ziglar remains true to his words, and he delivered them yesterday with an innate sincerity: Goals are important; a purposeful life is the one worth living. You can get whatever you want when you give enough people what THEY want. That is is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine you altitude. And gratitude is "the healthiest of all human emotions."
And so while I can't claim to have seen Zig Ziglar in his prime, at least that Zig is available to me through recordings of all sorts. I can say that I saw him truly, without pretense or adornment. It is apparent that he meant every word he has ever said, and he repeats them still for any audience lucky enough to hear them.
Thanks, Zig. There's never been anyone quite like you. Enjoy your time with your audiences. And as you have often said, I will see you at the top.