122: Andy Reid on Leadership

Andy Reid is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs where he has won three Super Bowls. After the most recent championship, his two star players had this to say about Andy as a leader:

First Travis Kelce: “I got the greatest coach this game has ever seen. He's unbelievable at not only dialing up plays and having everybody prepared, but he's one of the best leaders of men that I've ever seen in my life. I owe my entire career to that guy. I just love him man.”

Second Patrick Mahomes: “I believe he is the best coach of all time. For me, he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me. He doesn’t try to make me anyone else. I don’t think I would be the quarterback that I am if I didn’t have coach Reid being my head coach.”

I can’t imagine two better endorsements of Andy and his leadership style. 

In this episode we discuss the following:

• When Andy thinks about the most important things he’s learned about leadership, he thinks about his role models, from church leaders to LaVell Edwards.
• What Andy especially loved about LaVell Edwards is that he was never out of control, he was honest, he was a good teacher, and he was consistent.
• Andy is so good at applying lessons learned from LaVell Edwards, for example, keeping control of his emotions when getting “bumped to the other side of the 50” by Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl.
• Andy is so good at applying lessons learned from LaVell Edwards. For example, committing to always be honest with his players because he doesn’t believe you can be a good teacher if you’re not honest.
• One of Andy’s greatest leadership strengths: He knows his players. He remembers that Chris Jones was wearing a red tuxedo 8 years ago when Chris didn’t get drafted in the first round. He knows that Travis Kelce is the oldest player on the team. He remembers drafting Kelce in his first year at Kansas City and has watched him grow up.
• Andy’s greatest leadership strength: He loves his players. Andy loves Travis Kelce for his passion, even when getting yelled at and bumped in the Super Bowl. Andy loved Travis for putting his body on the line every play and for wanting to give more.Andy loves Chris Jones for committing to do all he could do to win the Super Bowl, and then reaching deep into no man’s land to make it happen. Andy loves Patrick Mahomes coming into the huddle every day saying, “Let’s be great!”
• It’s important for leaders to be calm, honest, consistent, teachers. But I think Andy is one of the greatest of all time for two additional reasons: He knows his players and he loves them.

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