When Stars Struggle: What We Can Learn From Andy Reid And Travis Kelce

This year’s Super Bowl proved historic for a few reasons—from the attention heaped on Taylor Swift’s attendance to the unprecedented overtime finish. Yet, the enduring image and significant post-game discussion focused on Kansas City superstar Travis Kelce screaming at his head coach Andy Reid and then—apparently filled with rage over not being in the game during a key play—bumping into him.

Of course, Kelce quickly apologized, and Reid brushed it off and led the team to victory.

It was a small moment, but the episode illustrates a familiar dilemma leaders of exceptional teams must deal with on a daily basis: How do you manage a superstar when their behavior crosses the line?

If a coach loses their temper, they’re not going to call a good game. If a player loses their temper over a play, they’re going to struggle to focus going forward. The consequences of anger are serious, and when it is directed at other members of the team, the negative consequences multiply. When superstars are in the mix, the impact can be massive.

Leaders need their teams to be totally ready to go when it's game time—both mentally and physically. The entire team needs to be aligned around a shared goal, and they all need to follow the game plan.

However, winning teams also must remain responsive to changing conditions in real time—making adjustments in a smart, coordinated way. Superstar players have an outsized impact on the field (or in the office) in these moments, both in terms of taking advantage of openings and in defending against threats. Your best players can make the difference between a decisive win and a narrow loss. On top of that, superstars are often leaders in their own right. When this is the case, as it is with Kelce, it’s a wonderful thing.

All of this means that when a superstar acts impulsively, it can negatively impact the team far more than someone who’s mainly on the bench or an average performer in your company. They set an example for other team members, so if they call into question the authority of coaches and leadership, disrupt the game plan, or cause problems in the locker room, it can seriously and quickly degrade the team’s performance.

Consequently, leaders need to evaluate the player as an individual. Great leaders know that they need their top performers and that superstars—like everyone else—aren’t perfect. They’ll make mistakes sometimes, too. Yet, just because someone is a star, doesn’t mean they don’t have to live by the same standards the rest of the team does.

In Kelce’s case, there was a lot of extra pressure. It was the Super Bowl, and the Taylor Swift factor certainly didn’t help. He’s also ultra-competitive. However, losing your temper isn’t acceptable. It was incredibly important that he recognized that he was out of line and apologized to Reid and the team. From Reid’s perspective, that makes a difference between treating the outburst as something requiring discipline and something that can be a learning experience for Kelce and a good example for the rest of the team.

But what if your top performer is habitually out of line, or even just occasionally but in the same way each time?

If you ignore it, it starts to tell the rest of the team that either a) that type of behavior is okay or b) there’s a double standard.

Leaders must decide whether the negative effects of bad behavior on the team outweigh the player’s value. If that player’s value does outweigh the negative consequences, then it becomes something that a coach or executive needs to work with them on, while also ensuring that they apologize (or face some sort of consequence) in a way that signals to the rest of the team that they understand their actions were wrong and that there isn’t a double standard.

Whether you’re running a unit in a company or playing in the Super Bowl, leaders need to understand when a superstar needs coaching and support to deal with their issues, or when they need to be cut. It can be hard. But getting it right makes all the difference. Mistakes, on or off the field, provide an opportunity for a coach to help shape the character and leadership skills of their top players. This especially the case with those who are younger and who, while very talented, may not have as much life experience.

In a situation like with Kelce, he’s one of the best players on the team. Reid definitely wouldn’t want to bench him. But you also can’t put him immediately back in the game just because he wants to be in. That player must take responsibility for their behavior and the consequences of their actions first.

In sports, if a player is good on the field but disruptive in the locker room, you fine him or you sit him out for a game. If his behavior still doesn’t improve, you cut him from the team. In the business world, if someone goes rogue, it’s going to have a negative impact on their bonus or prospects for promotion or a raise first. If it keeps going on, then it could cost them their job.

At the end of the day, if you have the right person, who is contributing all the time, and a great leader, and they blow up at a meeting but then come back and say, “I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry,” then you live with it.

If they’re not much of a contributor, why would you put up with it?

Superstars, like anyone else on a team, can make mistakes. But, if they have a weakness (and we all do), they need to acknowledge it and work on it. That way, they improve and set an example that can help everyone on the team perform better and win.