Steal This Leadership Secret from the Kansas City Chiefs
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On good teams, the coach teaches the players.
On championship teams, the players teach the players.
If You Want to Build a Winning Team, Steal This Leadership Secret from the Kansas City Chiefs
(even if they got crushed in the Super Bowl)
The Eagles may have dominated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, but no team has been more successful over the last seven years than Kansas City—7 division titles, 7 AFC Championship appearances, and 3 Super Bowl victories.
What’s their secret to sustained success?
According to Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, the leadership mindset that separates good teams from championship teams is this:
👉 On good teams, the coach teaches the players.
👉 On championship teams, the players teach the players.
As Reid puts it:
"You can compete and win if the coach is teaching the players. But when the players are teaching the players, now you can really go and compete for championships."
This mindset has massive implications for pastors, business leaders, and nonprofit directors.
Here’s 4 key takeaways I think will help you lead successfully:
4 Leadership Lessons from the Chiefs’ Success
1. Empowered Employees Perform Better
Great leaders trust their people to lead. When staff are empowered to make decisions, manage responsibilities and lead others, they give greater effort and the whole team benefits.
The Chiefs’ legendary “13-second comeback” against the Bills happened because Andy Reid empowered Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to make on-the-field adjustments to plays he called in the highest-pressured moment.
The result? One of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.
Pastors and leaders who micromanage every decision limit their team’s ability to step up, problem-solve, and succeed under pressure.
2. Winning Teams Invest In Leaders At Every Level, Not Just The Top
A winning team isn’t just about the head coach.
Healthy, growing churches identify and develop potential leaders at every level—not just the “leadership team”.
Successful organizations know that every leader doesn’t need to be promoted to the “lead team”. Instead, they figure out how to give each leader the responsibility and recognition to keep them satisfied in the roles to which they are best suited.
Think about Chris Jones—he’s a phenomenal leader on the field, but that doesn’t mean he is more useful as a coach than as a defensive lineman.
The same goes for your church. The goal isn’t just raising up more “top” leaders—it’s creating an empowered leadership culture at every level.
3. Culture Sustains Success Better Than Coaching
Here’s the truth: Even Andy Reid can’t personally coach every player, all the time.
That’s why culture matters more than coaching.
When a church lacks clarity on vision, values, and expectations, things start to fall apart:
❌ People pull in different directions.
❌ Team members don’t know what’s expected.
❌ Delegation becomes impossible.
But when everyone is aligned, leadership happens naturally at every level.
✅ Leaders can coach other leaders.
✅ Decisions get made without bottlenecks.
✅ Everyone is clear on the mission and pulling in the same direction.
A strong culture of clarity and alignment allows every player to coach other players, because everyone understands what is expected of them and what they are trying to achieve.
4. Winning Leaders Embrace Accountability
Successful leaders are always the first to take responsibility for failure.
After losing to the Eagles, here’s how the Chiefs leaders responded
🏈 Kelce: said it was it was his fault that he didn’t get “his guys” to respond properly
🏈 Mahomes: blamed the loss on his own terrible play
🏈 Reid: deflected blame off the players and onto his coaching.
Notice a pattern?
Championship teams take responsibility.
Dysfunctional teams shift blame.
In a successful organization, empowerment and accountability go hand-in-hand.
Want to Build a Championship-Caliber Team? Let’s Talk.
Here’s the thing—Andy Reid didn’t figure this out on his own.
He was mentored by great leaders, learned from his mistakes, and put in the work to become one of the best.
That’s where I come in.
At We Help Pastors, I offer one-on-one coaching to pastors and leaders to help them:
✅ Create a strong leadership culture
✅ Develop other leaders at every level
✅ Align their team around a clear vision
✅ Build accountability and ownership
✅ Achieve your own personal and professional goals
I have a few spots opening up to take on new coaching clients starting in March.
I want to make this as accessible as possible, so I’m offering a “spring special” of 6 sessions for the cost of 5 to the first 3 people who sign up to take those slots.
(Psssst: that means it will only be $500 for 6 sessions, but don’t say that too loud cause other coaches will get mad at me for under-pricing).
Your work matters—and investing in your leadership will make a lasting impact on your team, your church, and your community.
All you have to do is email me at eric@wehelppastors.com with the subject line: “Put me in, coach!” and you’re in!
