Andy Reid is an excellent NFL head coach. He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion, and his Kansas City Chiefs have made the playoffs in 10 out of 11 seasons. What makes him great? Many things, of course. But here’s one trait that stands out.
Andy Reid (photo, Fox Sports)
When Andy took over the Chiefs in 2013, the team was not doing so well. Andy’s first move was to hold meetings to allow the players to vent, complain, and voice their concerns.
Former player linebacker Derrick Johnson told ESPN, “Whenever we started that meeting, he would first say, “All right, what gripes do you have?” The players could complain about anything, the length or intensity of practices, cafeteria food, or anything else on their minds; it was an open forum for the team members to air their concerns.”
Reid’s meetings allowed players to vent and allowed him to act swiftly to address their concerns. If players said they were wearing pads too long and running too many plays at practices, Reid immediately changed practice formats, Johnson said.
A good coach, boss, or manager lets people vent. Sometimes, people get lucky and have a good boss or good coworkers. Sometimes, you can have one without the other. If I could only choose one, I would choose to have a good boss!
Keep being the “Super Coach,” Andy Reid!
