All experienced leaders have had to deal with it. That time when a member of your team makes a critical mistake. How should you handle it as a leader?
On Monday night, November 20th, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes faced such an issue. Let me paint the picture.
The Chiefs were trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 with 1:50 remaining in the game and had the ball on their own 49 yard line. Mahomes, who has a history of miraculous comebacks, dropped back to pass and threw a deep ball to the wide-open Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Watch the video for what happened next.
https://youtu.be/QqDb2890DG0?si=qO3-9MQiic83UVgE
Inexplicably, Valdes-Scantling dropped the pass. It is every wide receiver’s worst nightmare. The Chiefs would ultimately lose the game by four points. Afterwards, much of the public anger and responsibility for the loss was directed at Valdes-Scantling.
But what was the response of Patrick Mahomes? Would it be outrage? Could his anger and frustration boil over? Or would he join the X-mob and go after his teammate? After all, he did his job.
What Mahomes ultimately did was a masterclass in how to handle a teammate making a critical mistake. Watch the clip below from his post-game press conference:
At the 1:50 mark, Mahomes said, “It starts with me. I’ve got to make better throws at certain times.” At the 2:39 mark, he added, “He (Valdes-Scantling) didn’t come away with the ball. I could have thrown it a little bit shorter.”
Mahomes took the blame. This teaches all leaders the fundamental response when team members make a critical mistake:
When the leader performs with excellence, their team gets the credit.
When members of their team do not meet expectations and make mistakes, the leader stands in front, protects his teammates, and takes responsibility. They take the blame.
That is what elite leaders do. That is what Patrick Mahomes did. Would you do the same if placed in a similar situation?
For a deeper dive into the leadership of the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, read 7 Things That Make Patrick Mahomes Special (Other Than His Physical Gifts).
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