Don't Judge

Super Bowl LIX is now in the history books.? The Green Bay Packers’ record of three consecutive NFL championships remains intact as the Philadelphia Eagles victory stopped the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winning streak at 2 games.? Despite being outmatched in this game, I keep coming back to the Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s leadership philosophy for our message this week.? As a head coach in the NFL, his success speaks for itself with 3 Super Bowl wins and overall head coaching record of 301-162-1.

Andy Reid kept a 3 x 5 card in his office with two simple yet powerful words, “Don’t judge.”1? He was given the note card by his quarterback, Donovan McNabb, when Reid coached in Philadelphia.? Reid would occasionally jot down thoughts on note cards and give it to a player or coach as motivation.? One day, in reverse fashion, McNabb gave Reid a card that read ‘Don’t judge’.? With those few words, McNabb was telling his coach to not judge him by the color of his skin, what other people say, or by being different.2? ?I can only guess, but believe that he was conveying to his coach was not to stereotype him - to broaden the offensive strategy to leverage his full capabilities and also, maybe it was a way of saying get to know me better.? Whatever was intended, Andy Reid took those words to heart, and it has become an integral part of his leadership philosophy.?

Those two powerful words need to be part of every leader’s core beliefs. ?As Coach Brad Childres said, “don’t act like you know everything about a guy.”2 ??Being judgmental restricts how you think about a person.? It puts the people you work with in a box rather than allowing them to be their authentic selves.? When leaders do this, people will be less inclined to speak up on different ways of doing things.? It limits people’s potential by in essence telling them to ‘conform to who I think you are’ rather than allowing them to blossom to their full potential.? How would you like to work for a person that thinks they know you and your capabilities better than you do?

Judging a person involves forming opinions about someone’s character and abilities without sufficient evidence.? It is usually based on our current biases and beliefs.? This is very different than a leader’s necessary responsibilities to provide feedback and hold people accountable, which addresses specific behaviors, actions, and outcomes.? Feedback and accountability are aimed at improvement and growth, while judging is based on assumptions and is detrimental to trust and morale.

When thinking about a person’s performance, look at the movie, not at a snapshot.? In other words, do not judge somebody on a single observation, rather look at all aspects of that person.? Too often I have seen leaders judge someone based on a single conversation or project and ignore (or are unaware) of that person’s complete history.? Going back to a football analogy, when I coached, we evaluated players based what they demonstrated on the practice field, in the weight room, the classroom, and as a teammate. ?In the games, we graded every play not just the great ones or poor ones.?

We all have paradigms within which we operate, but be careful not to allow those biases to dictate how we judge people.? See the potential in people and recognize that a single misstep does not define them.?? Believe in your team and don’t let your preconceived notions limit their opportunities to grow.? Embrace diversity and include others that you may have otherwise overlooked.? Celebrate people who have different viewpoints rather than shutting them out.? Give people the opportunity to shine.? In my experience, when you believe in people and have high expectations – most of them work hard to prove you right.? As Donovan McNabb so simply put it, “Don’t judge.”

?1Grathoff, Pete. "An index card in Andy Reid’s office made lasting impression on Ravens’ John Harbaugh."?Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2024

2Dodd, Rustin. "Why a simple 3 x 5 notecard with two words explains Andy Reid’s leadership style."?The New York Times, Flipboard, 2025.?

?“Sometimes, I think you get what you preach. That might not be every single time, but I think, if that's on your mind at all times and I'm constantly talking to you about, why Reuben Frank is the best writer in the building, at some point you're going to believe that Roob is the best writer in the building.” – Nick Sirianni (Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles)

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing” –?Vince Lombardi

?#Leadership matters!