It is no secret that Boston has dominated the professional sports scene this millennium. Boston's teams have won twelve championships since the year 2000: six by the Patriots, four by the Red Sox, and one each by the Celtics and the Bruins respectively. Of course, don’t forget the potential 13th on the way with the Bruins entering the Stanley Cup Final next week.
It’s been a historic and monumental run of dominance that commands respect no matter where you’re from. With that being said, the purpose of this blog is definitely not to rub salt in any wounds but rather to simply point out a few takeaways from these franchises that can be applied to everyday life outside of sports. Specifically, lessons that might help dominate in the courtroom.
The Red Sox—Analyze Your Data
We start the first leg of the journey with the Boston Red Sox. Going on a then 86-year curse back in 2004, the team was desperate for answers. So what was the first major move? Hiring Theo Epstein, who at 28 years old became the youngest manager in Major League Baseball history. Building upon the Oakland A’s success and the Moneyball craze at the time, the Sox were quickly at the forefront of utilizing analytics to define strategy. Theo and his staff developed their own sabermetrics and algorithms to determine statistical info on players.
This is applicable to the way attorneys manage, analyze and use their data. It can also be a business driver that helps you stand out to more traditional approaches. With eGenerationMarketing, you can utilize our case management software to accurately track your conversion rate, cost per case, and where viable sources are coming from. Important decisions should be made based on numbers that you can learn from statistical analysis.
The Celtics—Making Sacrifices For The Team
The 2008 Celtics produced one of the best NBA teams of all time, winning 66 games and a championship. They formed “The Big Three,” where previously these three individual stars, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, who were leaders of their own teams previously. All three players ended up with less points, less shot attempts, and a lower usage rate then ever before.
When asked about the sacrifices being made at the time, Kevin Garnett remarked, “Sacrificing is our way of life. It’s what we do; it’s what we’ve been doing. We put the team above everything and the wins above everything, and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.” This simple premise of sacrificing individual success and trusting your teammates to achieve greater goals can be applied to any industry. If you use a lead generation system, it might be a good idea to utilize an intake staff or call center. Making individual sacrifices by giving a larger role to an associate or paralegal that hasn’t yet been put in a position to succeed could put your law firm ahead of the competition.
The New England Patriots—Work Harder Than Anyone Else
Finally we arrive at the longest dynasty of the franchises, the New England Patriots. There are a plethora of factors to pinpointing what’s lead to so much long lasting success. Part of it is Tom Brady, the best quarterback of all time, setting the tone for the entire organization. He didn’t get to where he is with physical gifts or luck. In fact, he is severely disadvantaged physically in terms of arm strength or quickness.
Brady established the “first one in, last to leave” mantra where he wanted to make sure he was working harder than anyone else. Rodney Harrison, former Patriots safety, recalled his first year in New England: “I show up around 6:30 am and he says to me, 'Good afternoon!' So the next day, I get the hint, and come in 15 minutes earlier. Same thing: He says, 'Good afternoon!' Then the next day it's 5:45 in the morning, and he makes sure to say it again. So I make it at 5:30 the next day, and I looked at him and said, 'Man, I don't care what you say, Tom, I'm not coming in earlier than 5:30!” When the most successful member of a team is also working the hardest, it sets the foundation for everyone below them.
As a lead attorney, remember you lead by example. If you are working hard and being a good teammate, then that is going to reflect positively on the entire company. With how competitive the legal space is, being the top attorney isn’t going to happen without utilizing data to make informed decisions, making sacrifices to allow other teammates to shine, and having a work ethic that can reflect positively onto the entire organization.
Sources:- https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/05/02/theo-epstein-chicago-cubs-boston-red-sox
- https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2019/03/03/its-time-for-law-firms-to-place-bolder-bets-on-their-data/?slreturn=20190423123755
- http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20222434/tom-brady-40th-birthday-stories-never-heard-nfl-2017-new-england-patriots
- https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/31/16061086/kevin-garnett-trade-celtics-2008-superteam-history