What a successful hairstylist can teach lawyers about succeeding at work

Brooke has cut my hair twice so far. After the first shearing, I got lots of compliments, so I went back, and we talked. She taught me something about cutting hair but more about the work world. Here are the lessons from Brooke:

1. Practice, practice, practice. I asked her how she got good at what she does. Her no-hesitation response: "I practice a lot. I read about hair, think about hair, talk about hair." A couple of books make the same point: Malcolm Gladwell’s "Outliers: The Story of Success" and Geoffrey Colvin's "Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World Class Performers From Everybody Else." They talk about the 10,000 hour rule: To become really good at something, a person needs to engage in "hard" practice for 10,000 hours over a 10-year period. Hard practice means stretching — not repeating — yourself.
2. Put the client first. My hair grew differently after the first cut. It did not grow every which way, as it did before. Instead, it grew in a shaped and orderly manner. Why? She told me that she cuts along the hairline, and many stylists do not. She added that her method means the client goes longer between haircuts. Longer? But then I end up using her services less, not more. That's right: The customer’s needs come first, and hers come second.
3. Good business is a niche built on empathy. I have thin hair; so does she. She talked about the bad haircuts she has received. She decided a niche needed to be filled, and she is filling it. As a law school librarian remarked, "If there is a need for something, there is a service that does or will provide it." A niche practice driven by empathy is a powerful one.
4. Appreciate the skill. In "How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else," Michael Gates Gill tells his story. He was a high-flying ad exec who got fired and ended up as a Starbucks barista. His insight: When he was a customer, he congratulated himself on saying "please" and "thank you." Ending up on the other side of the counter, he understood how hard it can be to perform the service he formerly took for granted. Take a moment to appreciate another person's hard-earned skills. Learning humility is a good thing in life and in business.

So Brooke, here's to you and your lessons. Thanks. Keep clipping.