What Can a QB Teach Lawyers About Teamwork?
One thing I learned early on is that it is impossible to succeed as a lawyer on your own. Not in terms of practicing as a solo- there are many very good lawyers that are solos. What I mean is that every good lawyer that I have ever met has to depend on others to succeed. Our paralegals and assistants are integral to what we do.
Here is a great example of someone who truly understands that everyone needs to understand the importance of their role. That man is Mark Sanchez. If you don't know, he just completed his rookie year as the starting quarterback of the New York Jets.
Mark is a third generation Mexican-American. Because of that heritage and his notoriety as a celebrity athlete in New York City, he was invited by President Obama to attend the most recent state dinner honoring a visit from Felipe Hinojosa, President of Mexico. Mark's invitation came with an "and one," sort of like bringing a date to an out of town wedding reception.
Here is where understanding how to be a leader and the value of teamwork comes in. Does Mark bring one of the many beautiful young women in NYC who would be sure to be impressed by a state dinner? Or some family member, agent, or hanger-on? No.
Who does he bring? D' Brickashaw Ferguson. His left tackle. When Mark drops back to pass, this is the man who protects his blind side from angry, 300 pound men who want to kill him. If I were a betting man, I would bet that D' Brickashaw now understands very well how Mark Sanchez values what he does. He took his left tackle to dinner with the President, over his mom, his girlfriend, and everyone else he could have taken.
Mark Sanchez understands teamwork. This is a good lesson for all of us.
