Three Leadership Lessons from Chiefs GM Brett Veach | The GM Journey

Brett Veach, Kansas City Chiefs General Manager, joined me on the latest episode of The GM Journey. We sat down at Arrowhead Stadium and ran through a slew of interesting topics - what it takes to win a Super Bowl, creating pipelines for more diverse front office candidates, building organizational trust, and much more. Listen to the full episode here.

Here are three of my favorite leadership lessons that Brett shared. Be sure to check out the full episode, it's a great one!

1. "You're going to go out someday, so go out on your own terms."

I loved that line from Brett when he was reflecting on the Chiefs' 2020 Super Bowl win and unforgettable playoff run. I asked him if he had any main takeaways after the championship, and Brett shared some great insights on being aggressive but calculated, and identifying when it makes sense to take a big swing in order to make the most of the moment at hand.

"[It's] just that mentality of being aggressive, but in a calculated way. And that, I think, all stems from the relationships you have with your coaching staff and your personnel staff - just put the trust in those people that you work with, trust the process, trust the system, and don't be afraid to get up at the plate and take some swings. Coaches always reminded me when I got this job, you know, you're going to go out someday, so go out on your own terms. I think that mindset and mentality helped us win. You only get one opportunity to actually do something like this, so make the most of it and trust the people that you're surrounded by."

2. Everyone has a role to play.

In addition to staying aggressive but calculated, Brett believes that the entire front office staff's work, and everyone's willingness to play their role, was instrumental in the Chiefs' Super Bowl run. Ending the NFL season as champions is a massive feat, and it could not have happened without all of the dedicated work on the sidelines, in the front office and behind the scenes.

"It is such a massive operation, and to think about what it takes to not just win games, but to win a Super Bowl, and having the ownership and the president, and then having a great coaching staff and great personnel staff...I think in that moment, you think more about how lucky you are to work with so many great people and that, yeah, you're a part of that. It is such a team effort to accomplish something like that."

3. Transparency and communication are two of the most important skills for leaders to develop.

When I asked Brett about which skills he believes are most crucial to being a good GM, he told me that transparency and effective communication are at the top of his list. While moving up the front office ranks toward GM, Brett was grateful to be kept in the loop by other leaders, and saw first hand how clear, effective communication helps build relationships, deepen respect, and create a stronger culture.

"I think that transparency and communication skills are absolutely the number one quality that any good GM has. That builds respect, and it build trust, and I think, you know, you're more likely to grow your organization through tough conversations that were done through open transparency. And there's a lot more respect generated for that, as opposed to not telling anyone why you did things, or not owning up to mistakes. I think if there's always open communication and transparency, you mitigate so many hurdles along the way. And I think that at the end of the day, if you're open, transparent, and you have great communication with your coaching staff, your ownership, your president, your scouting staff members, you're going to eliminate so much wasteful time in that building and just really get to the important stuff, and I think it just makes the whole operation run more smoothly."

Thanks to Brett for such an insightful conversation.

Joining us on this Friday's new episode of The GM Journey: Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane! #BillsMafia

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