If you haven’t watched the series Ted Lasso on Apple TV you should still read this article on leadership (but you really are missing out on some box office entertainment – it’s fantastic viewing). In short, American Ted Lasso is brought to AFC Richmond to manage this English Premier League soccer outfit. However, Ted has absolutely no experience at the helm of a soccer club. In fact, he doesn’t even know what the rules of soccer are… because his sport is American Football.
I think there is knowledge about leadership in textbooks, lectures, and tutorials. However, I also think there is knowledge about leadership in lots of other places too… like made-up stories about an NFL coach in the English Premier League. So, here goes.
Spoiler alert – in discussing the leader that Ted is and what this fictious character can teach us about effective leadership, I will be revealing a little bit about the twists and turns of Ted’s journey with AFC Richmond. So, if you haven’t watched the show yet, you’ve been warned.
Empowering
Ted knows nothing about soccer. Like, nothing. But that doesn’t stop him from being a successful soccer manager. Ted knows what his strengths are – man management and bringing people together to pull in the same direction. He plays to these strengths by making sure his players are happy and the team environment is a healthy one. As for everything else, Ted is quite comfortable delegating all that to people who know more than he does. He puts his ego aside and lets soccer people make soccer decisions. He empowers those around him. For example, he lets Nate (the former kitman) make tactical calls and allows Coach Beard to run training most of the time. The benefit? His team have the best possible coaching experience they could have. This is a brilliant illustration of what humble and altruistic leadership looks like.
Don’t be a leader who is too proud to let off that someone might know more than you about a particular aspect of the game. These kinds of leaders let their egos and thirst for power come before the interests of the team and deny their players the opportunity to improve and to have the best possible chance of winning. Effective leaders delegate and empower. Ineffective leaders do it all themselves.
Honest Communication
Ted says it how it is. When he communicates, he does so honestly, bravely, and clearly. His players don’t always love what he says. But they respect the transparency with which he communicates. For instance, when Ted must drop ageing English soccer legend Roy Keane Kent because his standard of play is no longer up to the mark – he sits down man-to-man with Roy and explains his reasoning. Roy is angered by this decision, but later accepts it and acknowledges that Ted was right. And that’s not all, after retiring, he later agrees to coach alongside Ted too.
All too often leaders lie to their players to make tough conversations easier. This might be helpful in the short-term. But it comes at the expense of credibility in the long-term because players see through the dishonesty eventually. That’s a bad trade-off – long-term credibility is much more valuable than short-term comfort. Be honest. Communicate clearly. All the time.
Resilience and Consistency
Ted’s behaviours remain consistent whether AFC Richmond are winning, losing, or drawing. He has a very chipper, positive, and uplifting disposition and this doesn’t change when results are not going his way. In the aftermath of defeats, Ted keeps smiling, keeps working hard, and keeps treating his players the same way. This resilience is partly born from Ted creating a disconnect between his behaviour and the results of his team. Winning is important but, for Ted, being a good person is more important. So he doesn’t let bad results (or good results for that matter) dictate his behaviours.
This is perfectly captured when AFC Richmond are relegated from the English Premier League and Ted receives a text message from his son which still makes him smile, despite the misfortune his club have just suffered. In true Ted fashion, he then also reminds his team that they should be grateful to have each other in this moment as being sad and together is much better than being sad and alone.
Ted’s healthy relationship with the results of his team make him a dependable, rational, and level-headed leader who continuously tries to put his best foot forward, no matter what the score is at the final whistle. We should all strive to lead in this way. Less emotional, reactive, and results orientated. And more calculated, intentional, and process orientated.
Conclusion
In the contemporary sporting landscape that is largely characterised by a win-at-all-costs mentality, Ted is a leader who reflects qualities that are not typically celebrated in this setting but which are essential to those who want to lead well. Maybe that’s why he’s a fictious character and not an actual one. Either way, the value his example presents is very real. Most notably, Ted reminds us that to win is important but also that there is so much more meaning to team sports than just results. And that leaders can make sporting experiences beautiful, inspiring, and moving. If you know you know. And if you don’t, then go watch Ted Lasso.
