Missed Expectations
At halftime of Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs trailed the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 24-14. Things needed to change fast or the Chiefs were in danger of losing their second Super Bowl in three years. As reported in this article by The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, what happened during the seventeen-minute Rihanna halftime performance changed the team’s fortunes and propelled the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory.
7 Things (All Leaders Should Know) That The Kansas City Chiefs Did At Halftime of Super Bowl LVII
The following are 7 Things (All Leaders Should Know) That The Kansas City Chiefs Did At Halftime of Super Bowl LVII which you can implement in your organization to regain lost momentum:
Trust Your Culture
Culture is the behaviors, practices, and actions your organization does everyday regardless of circumstances. Seth Godin has my favorite definition of culture. He says it can be summed up in eleven words – “This is what we say and this is what we do.”
Super Bowl MVP and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, “I had to become a better leader. I’ve always talked, but I had to take a next step in my leadership of how I showed guys how we worked, how I couldn’t let the little stuff slide because we have such great players around me who have done it for so long. I had to teach the culture that we have here, that I learned from (former quarterback) Alex Smith and (former linebacker) Derrick Johnson.”
But let’s be honest, you can only trust your culture if you have formed a healthy one. And the Kansas City Chiefs certainly have.
Trust Your Memory
A leader’s greatest weapon is his or her memory. What have you done in the past? This should give you the confidence to know you can do something again. Defensive end Frank Clark said, “The first thing I said when we walked in the locker room was, ‘We’re down 10 points. We’ll be all right,’ We’ve been down 10 points before this season and won the game.”
Increase Your Energy
Sometimes you just need to work harder. Success smells a lot like sweat. Tight end and future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce urged his teammates, “We need some energy! Where is your fight?!” Mahomes added, “Let’s leave it all out there for 30 minutes and see what happens.”
Lead From Within
Did you notice who were the ones speaking in the locker room? It wasn’t head coach Andy Reid or assistant coaches Eric Bieniemy or Steve Spagnuolo. It was team leaders Clark, Kelce, and Mahomes.
Jeff Van Gundy said, “Your best player must set the level of intolerance for your team.” When leadership comes from within your organization rather than from the top of it, you have likely developed a winning culture.
For more on Coach Reid, click 5 Lessons On Being A Creative Genius From Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid .
Change Your Approach
If something is not working, smart leaders are humble and nimble enough to change their approach. Spagnuolo changed his blitz schemes and stopped sending extra defenders after Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. This allowed linebackers Nick Bolton, Willie Gay and Leo Chenal to make more plays. The trio combined for twenty-three tackles and one sack.
Bolton, who also returned a fumble for a touchdown in the first half, said, “We knew the offense was going to get going. Their offensive line is great, so you can’t just pressure all day. We were mixing it up, just trying to find ways to make some plays.”
Ease The Burden Of Your Top Producers
Make it easier for them to succeed. Mahomes re-injured his ankle just before halftime. As a result, Bieniemy did not put the entire team’s fortunes on his quarterback’s shoulders in the second half. The team had nineteen running plays after halftime while Mahomes threw only fourteen passes. By easing your top performers’s burdens, it allows you to do the following:
Allow Big-Time Players Make Big-Time Plays In Big-Time Games
On the September 21, 2017 edition of The Herd With Colin Cowherd simulcast, Joel Klatt provided the best definition of greatness I have heard. He said, “Greatness is playing great when greatness is required… Being a great player is you are great when that is the minimal amount required to succeed.” And in Super Bowl LVII Patrick Mahomes was great!!!
Head coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes, “He grew up in a locker room. He’s seen the greats. He strives to be the greatest. Without saying anything, that’s the way he works. He wants to be the greatest player ever. When it’s time for the guys around him to raise their game, he helps them with that. The great quarterbacks make everybody around them better, including the head coach.”
Defensive tackle Chris Jones said, “Pat is a once-in-a-generation, lifetime type of player, man. Sometimes he does things so special that it becomes a normality for him. We’ve got to just appreciate Pat.”
Conclusion
If your team or organization needs to regain lost momentum, trust you culture and memory, increase your energy, lead from within, change your approach, ease the burden on your top performers and then allow them to make big-time plays. Do these things and you have a chance to be a championship organization yourself.
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