Kyle Shanahan explains how sometimes a leader is the only person in someone’s life willing to tell them the truth “My dad always said, ‘Just always be honest with guys.’ It’s something I’ve always done. I think it’s hurt me with probably two or three players in my career. Some people don’t like what you have to say.” “But I’ve also learned sometimes you’re the only person who tells them the truth. Some of these guys get so distorted. Uncles and agents and girlfriends or wives, they care about them, but they don’t know what the three-technique was supposed to do or what the coverage was.” “Not everybody knows the big picture. When you have to have that tough conversation, they know I’m not trying to hide from anything.” “I explain to them, ‘This is what I do. This is what I’m responsible for. I’m responsible for putting out the best team possible for the organization.’ If I don’t do that, my daughter might have to move schools again. I might have to fire this coach. I might have to cut this other player.” “It’s not a threat. You are running a business. You are still the boss. We all want everyone to get paid. We want everyone to be good. But you’ve got to remind people what your job is sometimes.” “I didn’t care if coaches yelled at me. I just knew when someone was teaching me and when someone was right. My biggest thing has been: I just want to teach people. Nothing’s worse than when you see coaches doing something based off someone else watching them.” “They raise their voice because the GM is out on the field, or the owner, or the head coach is right there, so they yell at that guy harder in front of the team to cover their ass. Players know that. Players are smart.”