Rainmakers Who Is Your Hero

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Rainmakers: Who is Your Hero? I love the song Wind Beneath My Wings. If you click on the link of the title you’ll see it was written in 1982 and was recorded that year by Roger Whittaker, as well as by Sheena Easton and Lee Greenwood. Many others recorded it, including Judy Collins, which is the recording I like best. But, for most of us, Wind Beneath My Wings will always be Bette Midler’s song. Her version sold millions of copies and received numerous awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 1990.   The melody is beautiful, but have you ever paid close attention to the lyrics? Who is the hero described in the song? Here is how it starts: Ohhhh, oh, oh, oh, ohhh. It must have been cold there in my shadow, To never have sunlight on your face. You were content to let me shine, that’s your way. You always walked a step behind. So I was the one with all the glory, While you were the one with all the strength. A beautiful face without a name for so long. A beautiful smile to hide the pain. Did you ever know that you’re my hero, And everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle, For you are the wind beneath my wings. When I was at the top of my career, and news that ultimately led to the demise of Jenkens & Gilchrist was becoming public, I received many, many calls from legal recruiters and calls from partners in some well-known law firms. I was bringing in a bucket full of business and that was what made me an attractive candidate for other firms. In all the calls, in all the meetings, I don’t recall any recruiter, or law firm partner asking: Who are the lawyers who enable you to bring in all this business to your firm? Let’s put the question in the terms of Wind Beneath My Wings: Who are the lawyers who give you the opportunity to fly higher than an eagle, for they are the wind beneath your wings? Now, after leaving my law practice 12 plus years ago, I can candidly admit I never gave some of those lawyers the credit they deserved. So, if you are a rainmaker in 2018: I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.