The 7 game winning streak is over, but there is no doubt that Jeremy Lin has made a lasting impression on pundits and fans alike. In this installment, Dan Rootenberg, President and co-founder of SPEAR writes about the lessons we can take from Lin’s performance, win or lose, both on and off the court.
Photo: Associated Press8 Lessons to Learn From Watching Jeremy Lin
Catch the LinSPEARation
by Dan Rootenberg, PT, DPT, CSCS
1- Don’t judge a book by its cover
While Jeremy Lin may not look like the prototypical NBA point guard he had been successful at other levels and shouldn’t have been a complete surprise.
2- Persistence counts for more that natural talent
[read Moneyball] Compare the baseball career of a scraper like Lenny Dykstra to Billy Beane. What would NY Met teammates Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s careers look like if they had shown persistence and determination consistently throughout their careers, instead of just the tail end. Most likely they would be first ballot Hall of Famers. Be consistent and persistent in your approach to skill acquisition whether it’s leadership training or continuing education. This will enhance your patientand staff interactions much more that a 4.0 GPA ever did.
3- Hard work and determination is contagious
The Knicks are a new team with Lin. His hard work and determination is contagious. The team culture went from me/superstar oriented to a teammate centric focus and it has lifted up the entire team.
4- Focus on process
While goal setting is necessary it is best to focus on the process, and the results will come naturally. While the world focuses on Lin and Lin focuses on his teammates, the Knicks are on their most prolific winning streak in recent memory and MSG stock is at an all time high.
5- People need context to thrive
Jeremy Lin didn’t audition well at NBA tryouts since he does jump thru the roof, nor does he possess obvious physical tools. He didn’t do particularly well in the 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 drills typical of NBA tryouts. Once seen in game situations, his court visions, instincts and judgement became obvious. Don’t miss these signs. To put it into terms we use in physical therapy..make sure whatever you train, test, judge or evaluate is under functional conditions. When managing people put them in positions they have the best chance of succeeding in.
6- Triangulate your data
While trusting your gut is always important you must gather all relevant information….don’t only trust your initial reaction, delve deeper, incorporate statistics, seek other viewpoints, triangulate your data.
7- Transparency and honesty are key
Lin has such a genuine communication style with the media, he readily admits to the difficulty of sudden fame, doesn’t hide who he is, even admits to weaknesses in his game. We must be like this as leaders, managers and as Physical Therapists.
8-The accelerant is passion
Don’t take any opportunity for granted. The space between the D league and great success are closer than you think. The accelerant is passion combined with just enough talent. If you love connecting with, inspiring and enabling people to reach their goals, and have carefully honed your skills, you will be recognized as a great physical therapist, with a loyal following greater than you ever imagined.
Dan Rootenberg is the President and co-founder of SPEAR Physical Therapy and leads SPEAR’s Executive Leadership meetings each month. This is a three hour meeting that includes all of the SPEAR team directors who’s mission is to keep SPEAR moving forward as an inspiring place to be treated as a patient and a fulfilling place to work in every day.
