Leadership lessons from Andy Reid

One week after Andy Reid won his third Super Bowl as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, I interviewed him about leadership. I reached out because I’m teaching leadership to undergraduates at the University of Kansas, and I am intrigued by how Reid dealt with Travis Kelce bumping him during the Super Bowl.

I was grateful Reid agreed to the interview, especially so soon after the Super Bowl win in Las Vegas. Maybe it was because we both played football for Brigham Young University. Or because I teach at the University of Kansas. Or because a mutual friend put us in touch. Regardless, I didn’t expect Reid’s response in 24 hours: “I’d love to do an interview. Here’s my cell. Tonight works if it works for you.”

What a generous response. I’d interviewed more than 100 people on my podcast, including football players (Steve Young, Kellen Moore), business leaders (Liz Wiseman, Brad D. Smith) and academics (Katy Milkman, Adam Grant). But none had been coming off such a high-profile performance.

Preparation for each interview is straightforward. I want to know what the guests have learned that they most want to pass on to others, with the goal of keeping each interview to 15 minutes.

So, once I connected with Reid, the first question came easily: “Andy, what leadership lessons have you learned that you would most like to pass on to others?”

Reid’s response: “I was fortunate enough to have great leaders all the way up through Little League sports, through high school, and college. We’ve got great leaders in our church. But I always go to (former BYU) Coach LaVell Edwards.”

Right out of the gate, Reid was giving credit to others.

He continued: “LaVell kind of summed up everything for me. As a leader, he was never out of control. He was honest with people. He was a good teacher. And I felt like he was consistent. ... So those are some primary things I’ve tried to learn from and use as a coach in a leadership position.”

Of all the things Andy Reid could share about leadership, he chose these four: Never lose control. Be honest. Be a good teacher. Be consistent.

So, I followed up on these ideas.

In the Super Bowl, the Chiefs fumbled on a play when tight end Travis Kelce was sitting out. Travis furiously confronted Reid, bumping him and screaming at him, an image that went viral on social media.

“What was going through your mind, and how were you trying to stay under control?” I asked.

Reid responded, “I have five children, so that helped.”

A sense of humor, it seems, also helps.

Reid then described his relationship with Kelce: He drafted Kelce as a rookie. He watched Kelce grow up. At 34, Kelce is the oldest player on the team, and Reid and Kelce have been through highs and lows and built a relationship.

In other words, Reid knows Kelce.

Reid then demonstrated exactly why he is such a skilled leader. He described the situation from Kelce’s perspective, taking himself out of the picture.

“Travis is the one out there playing. He’s the one that has to put all those emotions into action. … I understand him … and that game he wanted to play every play. He didn’t want to sit out. He knew he could help the team, and how do you argue with that?”

He went on: “In this day and age, somebody wants to be in there playing and wants to help the team win. It wasn’t a selfish thing. It was, ‘I know I can help the guys win.’ He was relaying that message, probably a little crazy, but he was relaying the message that ‘I’m ready, I can help us win.’ And he did. In the second half, that’s exactly what he did.”

Classic Andy Reid. He could have gotten defensive. He could have benched Kelce to show him who was the boss. In fact, many pundits were saying Reid should have done just that. But instead, Reid saw the bigger picture. His player wanted to help the team win. What more could a coach ask for?

I then asked Reid about Chris Jones, the defensive tackle who had started the season by holding out for a contract extension. Jones made several big plays in the Super Bowl, including a third-down pressure in overtime that forced the 49ers to kick a field goal. After the game, Reid playfully pushed Jones to the ground and jumped on top of him to celebrate.

“I imagine you and Chris have developed a relationship through consistency. Because you don’t typically see the head coach climb on top of one of the players,” I said.

Reid responded: “He’s a special guy, and you’re hitting all my special guys here. We’ve been together a long time. We drafted him. He wasn’t picked in the first round, and he thought he was going to be. He was dressed in a beautiful red tuxedo ready to go, and it didn’t happen. But he’s been a heck of a player for us, and he’s another one that pushed himself past exhaustion.”

I had asked Reid about two players, and he said I’m hitting all his special guys. But I got the feeling that if I asked about the 51 other players, each of them would be his “special guys.”

Finally, I asked Reid about being a good teacher.

He replied that being a great teacher is all about empowering people to reach their potential. He then said, “One thing I love about (quarterback) Pat Mahomes, he comes into the huddle every day, and he says, ‘Let’s be great.’ And he’s not saying it just to say it. I mean, he means it: ‘Let’s do everything we possibly can to exhaust ourselves to be great in this moment.’”

Like clockwork: I ask Reid a question, and he shines the light on someone else and says how much he loves them.

Reid loves his guys — that is clear. So how do they feel about him?

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.”

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 think Reid’s leadership lessons are excellent: Stay in control. Be honest. Be a good teacher. And be consistent. But I also think there’s more to his greatness, even more than his sense of humor:

He knows his players. And he loves them.

As a result, they love him.

Nate Meikle, a former football player and sideline reporter for BYU, is a professor at the University of Kansas where he teaches leadership and ethics. He is also the host of the podcast, Meikles & Dimes, which is dedicated to the simple, practical and underappreciated. The full interview with Andy Reid is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And a full list of Meikles & Dimes guests is available at nate.meikle.com/podcast/.