I recently came across a quote that grabbed my attention: “When you’re good at something, you’ll tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they’ll tell you.”

Naturally, I had to know who said it. The answer didn’t disappoint—Walter Payton. A powerful insight from an NFL legend.

Fun fact about me: my favorite sport is NFL football. And yes, I’m a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan. 2026 is definitely our year. But back to the quote. As I read through different interpretations, one in particular stuck with me: goodness is about skill, but greatness is about impact and being recognized by your peers and fans.

That idea feels especially relevant to the work we do in plaintiff personal injury law. Yes, technical skill matters. Results matter. But at the end of the day, isn’t this work really about impact? About the difference we make for our clients, our teams, our communities, and the example we set as leaders?

I believe most owners aren't simply laser-focused on building firms. Instead, their ultimate aim is to build a legacy. And if they do it right, those legacies won’t just be measured in verdicts or settlements, but in the lives they’ve touched and the standards they’ve set for generations to come.

From Skill to Impact: Why Greatness Is Recognized

The distinction between good and great is subtle, but profound. “Good” is about competence. It’s hitting your targets, closing cases, and running a profitable firm. It’s having the skills to get the job done. Good is something you can claim for yourself.

“Great” is different. Greatness is about influence and impact. It’s what happens when your competence creates a ripple effect that inspires others. It’s the standard you set that elevates the entire team. Greatness is something you earn. It’s a reputation conferred upon you by others. Observation is the bridge between your team's performance and that crucial recognition.

The Art of Observation: You Can’t Acknowledge What You Don’t See

For leaders, observation is an active skill. It's the discipline of paying attention to what truly matters beyond the metrics on a dashboard. But what should you be looking for? Great leaders notice the things that fuel a thriving culture.

They notice:

• Effort, not just outcomes. A paralegal who spends hours hunting down a key piece of evidence deserves recognition, even if the case ultimately settles for a lower amount than hoped.
• Growth, not just perfection. The new intake specialist who fumbled a few calls last month, but is now confidently converting leads needs to hear that their improvement has been seen.
• Consistency, not just hero moments. The case manager who methodically updates every file, communicates proactively with clients, and never misses a deadline is the engine of your firm. Their quiet consistency is a superpower.

Many firms struggle here because their leaders are busy, reactive, or perpetually stuck in the weeds. Wins go unnoticed while mistakes get immediate, undivided attention. When you only point out the negative, you create a culture of fear. When you actively observe the positive, you build a foundation of credibility and trust.

Why Positive Feedback Matters (More Than You Think)

Let's be clear: positive feedback is not “fluff” or “soft leadership.” It’s one of the most potent, high-leverage tools in your leadership arsenal. In the high-stakes, emotionally draining world of personal injury law, targeted, specific feedback is the fuel that keeps your team going.

It directly powers:

• Motivation and discretionary effort. People who feel seen and valued are willing to go the extra mile without being asked.
• Confidence and ownership. Acknowledging a team member’s sound judgment on a tough decision empowers them to make more of them.
• Retention and loyalty. People don’t just leave bad bosses; they leave workplaces where they feel invisible.
• Alignment with firm values. When you praise someone for their empathy with a client, you reinforce that empathy is a core value, not just a word in a handbook.

There’s neuroscience behind this. Our brains are wired to repeat behaviors that get reinforced. When you provide positive feedback, you’re hardwiring the exact behaviors you want to see more of.

Feedback as a Growth Strategy, Not a Feel-Good Exercise

Intentional recognition is essential for scaling your firm. As a leader, you can’t personally motivate every single person every single day. At some point, your culture should do the heavy lifting for you. A culture of reinforcement carries the message when you can’t.

Feedback directly accelerates:

• Skill development: It helps team members understand what "good" looks like.
• Decision-making: It builds confidence in their judgment.
• Accountability: It creates a standard that everyone feels responsible for upholding.

Firms that scale successfully don’t rely on pressure; they rely on positive reinforcement. They build systems that make people want to perform at a high level, rather than feeling forced to.

It Starts at the Top—but It Can’t Stay There

As the firm owner, you are the chief observation officer. You set the tone. What you notice, what you praise, and what you repeat sends a clear signal to the entire firm about what is truly valued.

But greatness doesn’t scale if feedback only flows downward from you. A single point of recognition creates a bottleneck. To build a truly great firm, you have to create a system where feedback comes from every direction. This is where the "Waterfall Effect" comes in.

The Waterfall Effect: Feedback at Every Level

Imagine feedback as a waterfall. It starts at the highest point and flows down, gaining momentum and reaching every level of the landscape.

• Owners → Executive Team: You must model this behavior by recognizing the contributions of your leadership team.
• Leaders → Managers: Your leaders then carry that forward, observing and praising their direct reports.
• Managers → Team Members: This is where the impact is felt most directly on the front lines.
• Peers → Peers: This is the game-changer.

Peer-to-peer recognition is uniquely powerful because it feels entirely earned. There’s no hierarchy, no agenda...just genuine appreciation from a colleague who sees the work you do up close. It breaks down silos, builds team cohesion, and creates an environment where everyone feels responsible for lifting each other up. Your goal is to create a firm where "they'll tell you" becomes the norm, not the exception.

How to Operationalize Observation & Feedback

This can’t be left to chance. You have to build systems to make it happen. Observation and feedback are the cornerstones of a high-performing law firm. When implemented effectively, they help uncover hidden inefficiencies, amplify individual and team strengths, and ensure alignment with your firm’s broader goals. By fostering a culture where constructive feedback is an integral part of daily operations, you empower your team to continuously improve and contribute to the firm's success. The result is a more cohesive, proactive, and results-driven practice that moves beyond simply meeting expectations to consistently exceeding them. Here’s how you can make observation and feedback an actionable part of your firm’s DNA.

1. Make observation intentional. Schedule weekly "what went right" reviews in your leadership meetings. Get up from your desk and do leadership walk-throughs to see the work in action, not just the results on a report.
2. Make feedback specific. "Good job" is nice, but it’s not helpful. Effective feedback specifies what was done, why it mattered, and who it impacted. For example: "Sarah, the way you organized that demand package made our argument so clear that the adjuster barely had any questions. That saved us weeks of back-and-forth."
3. Build systems, not one-off moments. Weave recognition into your daily operations. Create a "wins" channel in Slack or Teams. Start every team meeting with shout-outs. Make "strengths" a primary focus of your performance reviews.
4. Train your leaders. Don't assume your managers know how to do this. Train them to observe their team members and articulate excellence clearly and consistently.

Common Mistakes Firms Make with Feedback

Many plaintiff law firms make easily avoidable mistakes when it comes to giving and receiving feedback. These lapses often stem from a lack of training, unclear communication, or inconsistent processes. By understanding and addressing these common pitfalls, firms can create a culture of improvement, strengthen their operations, and ultimately deliver better results for clients. Avoid these common pitfalls:

• Waiting for the big win. Don’t save all your praise for seven-figure settlements. Acknowledge the small, consistent efforts that lead to those wins.
• Only giving feedback when something is wrong. If the only time your team hears from you is when there's a problem, they'll learn to dread seeing you.
• Assuming they "already know" they're doing a good job. No one gets tired of hearing they are valued. No one.
• Treating feedback as optional. It's not. It's an essential part of your firm's operational infrastructure.

From Good Firms to Great Ones: The Legacy You’re Building

What will your team members say about working at your firm ten years from now? What stories will they tell when you’re not in the room? Great firms produce great results and great leaders. They create an environment where people do the best work of their careers. The simple acts of observation and recognition shape how people show up every single day.

Becoming the Kind of Leader People Talk About

Let's circle back to Walter Payton. His greatness was visible, it was felt, and it was talked about by everyone—teammates, competitors, and fans. He didn't have to announce his impact; his impact announced itself.

As you lead your firm, I challenge you to think about what you are noticing this week. Whose effort needs to be seen? Who needs to hear that their work matters?

When you build a firm where excellence is consistently observed and acknowledged, greatness becomes contagious. You stop being a collection of good individuals and start becoming a great team. And that's a legacy worth building.