Great Leaders Do Two Things

I was struck by an article about Patrick Mahomes' thoughts on what makes Head Coach Andy Reid such a great coach. Emotional Intelligence is at work big time here.

The article refers to these seven words from Patrick Mahomes that say it perfectly:

"He brings out the best in me."

Coach Reid employed a simple but powerful approach — let Patrick be Patrick. Not asking him to change for the system. Let someone with great creativity, athleticism, and spark do his thing. Sounds simple but it takes confidence and a clear understanding of the role a coach plays.

We as coaches bring out people's best when we do two things:

We listen.

We ask questions. Thoughtful, open-ended ones.

Coach Reid scores high on my EQ scorecard — his self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social regulation all work beautifully together.

In this case, it's not about Patrick changing. It's about bringing clarity to expectations and how that influences the process that ultimately helps the team and the greater good.

A great coach and leader!