The Top 5 Leadership Lessons from the 2020 Super Bowl

Two weeks ago, I posted about five leadership lessons noticed during the NFL playoff weekend on the road to the Super Bowl. Ever the leadership student, here are five more, which came from yesterday’s Super Bowl. My hometown Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 to win their first Super Bowl in fifty years. (Heads up: I’m biased.)

Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs players Mahomes and Mathieu

One: Team composition. Actually, this one comes from years leading to the Super Bowl. The lesson is to identify the positions needed, talents present, and skills to develop or acquire. This takes honesty beyond what many business leaders desire. It must have been hard for the Chiefs leadership to determine that some great people were not a fit for the organization, yet they did it to change the composition of the team to fit the vision. The changes did not happen quickly, nor did the outcomes always go as predicted. Honesty and patience were key.

Two: Expectations of self and others. In player and coach interviews, they often spoke about knowing their roles and trusting others to perform theirs. During yesterday’s game, one of Kansas City’s defense leaders, Tyrann Mathieu, fired up his teammates during the second half. After the game Mr. Mathieu spoke of his eruption, “We’re about having fun, having swagger and a big chip on our shoulder. In the fourth quarter, we got back to who we are.” (Source) Mr. Mathieu knew what his team was capable of and where they were falling short, and he lit the fuse under them. His tirade worked because he is a respected leader.

Three: Vision. I’ve noticed throughout the years that NFL teams often say their goal was to “get to” the Super Bowl. I don’t have data on how many said that, but I believe that is a different goal than “winning” the Super Bowl. The Chief’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, tweet from 2013 is just one example of his vision to win the Super Bowl. Is your vision for your team big enough? Does it match the team’s capabilities and dreams?

Four: Work. Some leaders have the vision to win championships yet don’t do the work it takes to be the best. Do your habits align with your dreams? If not, the dreams will always be just that: dreams. If you want your dreams for your team or company to become a reality, your habits have to be aligned. Chiefs Coach Andy Reid is known for his work ethic. No doubt there were players and coaches on both sidelines yesterday who work hard—that’s how you get to compete for championships.

Five: Be good to others. There are stories galore about how the Chiefs players and coaches treat people in Kansas City. There are stories about their bonds with other teams and towns too. From hospital visits to picking up the tab for restaurant patrons to donations for pet adoptions to celebrate the Super Bowl, the players and coaches are known for being good and having that expectation of each other.

The list could go on and on, but those five are the main leadership lessons from the Super Bowl many business leaders could ponder. What else would you add?