EQ Case Study: Andy Reid and How to Get the Best Out of Your People

Image Credit: Nate Farro

After winning Super Bowl LVIII in dramatic fashion, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes identified a hallmark trait of head coach Andy Reid. It’s a lesson for leaders everywhere.

Did you watch the Super Bowl this year?

Even though the team I was rooting for lost (maybe next year, 49ers!), I could appreciate a pretty big leadership lesson from the winning team, the Kansas City Chiefs.

It came from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ postgame interview. In it, Mahomes praised head coach Andy Reid for enabling him to achieve this level of success:

“For me, he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me,” Mahomes said. “He doesn’t try to make me anyone else. I don’t think I’d be the quarterback that I am if I didn’t have Coach Reid being my head coach.”

And there’s the leadership lesson:

Great leaders bring out the best in others.

Don’t try to change them

There are different schools of thought as to exactly how you get the best out of others.

In the NFL, for example, many coaches are known for trying to force quarterbacks into a specialized offensive “system.” By prioritizing the system over the quarterback, coaches feel they can achieve success with various types of quarterbacks.

Instead of forcing Mahomes into a system, though, Reid did the opposite:

He allowed Mahomes to play to his strengths. He adjusted the system to Mahomes.

“He’s learned how to get the most out of me every day,” Mahomes once explained in an interview. “I think if I’d have went to some other places, I would’ve had to learn how to play the quarterback position a different way, and he just lets me play the quarterback position the way that I want to play it.”

Reid’s penchant for nurturing potential didn’t start with Mahomes. Over the years, Reid enabled multiple quarterbacks with varied playing styles to produce some of the best seasons of their respective careers.

For example, consider the accomplishments of these quarterbacks, all achieved during their time with Reid:

  • Brett Favre: Won an MVP one year and led the league in passing yards the next
  • Donovan McNabb: Went to six Pro Bowls and five NFC Championship games
  • Michael Vick: Had the best season of his career
  • Alex Smith: The five most productive seasons of his career came under Reid

These results aren’t coincidence: They’re evidence of a coach who knows how to leverage his players’ strengths and get them to play at their best.

So, what’s the takeaway for you?

How to get the best out of your people

All of us are leaders in one way or another.

Maybe you’re a manager, or you lead a project team at work. Or, maybe you’re a parent trying to lead your children to become successful adults.

No matter who you lead, remember:

When trying to get the best out of others, don’t try to simply fit them into your idea of what they’re good at.

Instead, analyze their strengths, and build your system around them.

If you’re not sure what they’re especially good at, try asking them:

  • What do you feel are your greatest strengths?
  • What’s a hidden talent I don’t know about?
  • What could I do more of that would enable you to be the best version of yourself?

Then, listen carefully. Use their answers to help you adjust your expectations, your interactions, your “system”—all in the service of the goals of the team.

Most of all, remember: There are some things about people you just can’t change—and you shouldn’t even try.

Instead, learn to leverage those things. If you do, you’ll bring out the best in them.

 

NOTE: If you’re interested in more of about why Andy Reid was the best coach for Patrick Mahomes, check out an expanded version of this article on Inc.com: Patrick Mahomes Just Described What Makes His Coach the Greatest of All Time. It’s a Brilliant Lesson in Leadership

 

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