Coach Andy Reid is one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time, and players and coaches have a great deal of respect and even affection for him. In fact, he’s known as a player’s coach – someone players want to play with as opposed to for. 

How does he do it? Not only does he have a great deal of emotional intelligence, but Big Red also has a big personality, has accrued years of credibility, and is innovative and creative. Here are a several leadership qualities that place Coach Reid among the best.

• Treat others the way you want to be treated. For him, surprisingly perhaps for a football coach, that means no yelling. It could mean an occasional shoulder check, but yelling should only be done with joy.
• Respect the impact you have on others. He sees himself as a teacher and mentor to young men and wants them not only to be better players but also better husbands and fathers. 
• Be humble and take the blame when things go wrong.
• Communicate regularly. When he started with the Chiefs in 2013, he created a Players Leadership Committee, which helps eliminate distractions, gives players a chance to provide feedback, and demonstrates he’s listening and responding to players’ concerns. 
• Stay calm, unflinching, steady and consistent. Practice equanimity and be the same person tomorrow as you are today. Notice how he responded to Travis Kielce getting in his face? (He didn’t.)
• Be personal with people. He takes genuine interest of everyone he meets.
• Create a healthy environment and build healthy relationships. He builds relationships from owners and players to field crew and front office staff.
• Have confidence in those around you and trust your team. He trusts his players and is known for giving them a long leash.
• Have a sense of humor. Andy loves his Hawaiian shirts and is known for his sense of humor.
• Feed the “hot hand.” He knows it’s not about giving the star player the ball every play. It’s about doing what it takes to win.
• Be adaptable. He’s an active learner who adapts schemes to his players’ skills as opposed to making them fit his system. This has been critical in his relationship with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who once said his coach has, “… learned how to get the most out of me every day.”
• Create cultural alignment. When he first joined the team, he handed out fliers that outlined his cultural philosophy of “togetherness” and his belief that everyone must be aligned to succeed. 
• Show empathy and support. Players see him as a father figure who gives advice and cares about them. He puts them in a position to succeed and treats younger coaches the same way.
• Understand those you lead. He knows his players are motivated; he knows they want to win. Therefore, he doesn’t have to motivate them or encourage them to win. “The thing I’ve found with great players is they want you to give them one more thing so they can even be greater,” he says.
• Persevere and be willing to take risks. He is known for calling or allowing a few “trick” plays, and the Chiefs are notorious for pulling out a win at the last minute.
• Most importantly, bring out the best in people. “For me, he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me,” Mahomes says. “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.” 
  

Bring out the best in your team. Ask:

• What are your strengths, and what do you like most about your work?
• Is there something you enjoy or are good at that you would like to do more of?
• Do you have a talent I don’t know about that could help the team?
• Is there anything I could do that would help you be successful?