Coming from the Blind Side
Copyright Jack Mixner. 714 449 1040. www.mixnerstrategy.com
In high school, our football team normally beat South River, until Joe Theismann came along. Since then, it has always been a pleasure to think back to the old days and remember Theismann's career in the NFL. As we all know, that career was cut short by a bone-breaking tackle from his blind-side by the New York Giant's Lawrence Taylor.
That tackle later proved to be a defining moment in pro football history. Before, linemen, including left tackles, were basically commodities. After, far after as it turned out, left tackles became the second highest paid professionals on the field, with only the quarterback normally exceeding their compensation.
Why? That's simple. The left tackle protected the quarterback's blind side from fierce rushes by defensemen like Taylor (Lewis, 19).
The point? Protecting your obvious leaders, like quarterbacks, makes sense. In business terms, there aren't any singleton stars. Everyone has to work together. Yep, there are star sales people. Without star support from all over the company, they are meaningless.
Take the time to build a team.
[Inside information: Joe didn't change the pronounciation of his name to rhyme with Heisman until later.]
Reference
Lewis, Michael. The Blind Side Evolution of a Game. W. W. Norton & Company. 2006