I have new favorite show. Ted Lasso, on AppleTV, tells the story of an American football coach who goes to England to coach a soccer (also football, everywhere but the US) club. It’s surprisingly funny and heart-warming, and it’s shockingly smart. So smart that, as I watched episodes the first time through, I found myself thinking repeatedly about how I wanted to be more like Ted Lasso in my role as a high school principal. Every episode contains lessons that leaders can use in probably any work environment to help them support and therefore get the most out of their team members, and I’ve already begun to draw on these lessons in my professional practice. So, I did what I almost never do; I watched the series again. This time I took notes, and what will follow here and for the next few posts are my notes and thoughts about the leadership lessons of Ted Lasso and other characters from the show.
SPOILER ALERT: From this point forward, I will be writing about specific scenes and quotes from the show. Please make sure to watch the episode in question before reading on; it’s worth it. This post will include content from Episode 4: For the Children and Episode 5: Tan Lines
CONTENT ALERT: Ted Lasso is written for adults. They use language I would never use in school or a work environment and there are sexual references in many episodes. None of it personally bothers me, but it might bother some viewers.
So, without further ado…
EPISODE 4: FOR THE CHILDREN
“Even Woody and Buzz got under one another’s plastic.”
Episode 4 focuses on Richmond’s annual fundraiser and sees Ted dealing with the ongoing feud between Richmond’s two best players: Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt. Roy is now the unquestioned leader and captain of the Richmond players, but Jamie is by far their best offensive weapon and has the ego to match. To move forward as a team, Richmond needs Jamie to understand the value of teamwork and for Roy to understand his place as a mentor to Jamie. Ted’s solution: seat them all together at the same table during the fundraiser so that he can get them to understand one another and work things out. Once at their table, Ted tries repeatedly to get through to Jamie and Roy, first with them all together and then with Roy alone. His message is clear, and real: the two players do not need to be best friends, but they do need to show mutual respect towards one another. Ted finally helps the two men find common ground by reminding Roy that he was once like Jamie. In my work, I’ve dealt with similar issues by focusing teachers on their own common ground. At times this has similarly taken the form of helping a more veteran teacher remember their own trials towards the beginning of their career. At other times I’ve tried to focus teachers on their common “why” of serving the needs of their students. In every case though, I’ve reminded teachers that, while we don’t have to invite one another over for board games and dinner, we must always show mutual respect and kindness.
“They say youth is wasted on the young. I say, don’t let the wisdom of age be wasted on you.”
There’s another lesson in leadership to be found here too: the importance of mentorship. Roy is a veteran player who has been down the road on which Jamie now finds himself. It would be an absolute waste for Roy not to share his experience and knowledge with Jamie. Mentorship is an important tool in any organization. It can bring people together, as Ted hopes it will for Roy and Jamie, but it can also serve to perpetuate the cultural non-negotiables or “pay to play” values of the organization when members invariably move on. It’s also simply a phenomenally efficient and effective professional development program. The mentee learns from the experience and teaching of the mentor, the mentor learns through the reflective process of modeling and teaching, and the entire organization grows as individual team members develop stronger working relationships and a deeper knowledge base together.
“Make fun of yourself, right off the bat. Folks will love that.”
In the midst of dealing with the ongoing bickering of Roy and Jamie, Coach Lasso also finds himself coming to the aid of the club owner, Rebecca. At one point, Rebecca is worrying about her upcoming speech to start the fundraiser and Ted responds by advising her to begin with a joke about herself. There’s a moment here designed for pure comedic effect, but the message is again clear and spot on: use vulnerability. Leaders don’t have to use self-depreciating humor. In fact, there are times when this would certainly be unwise. But being vulnerable is almost always the right approach. By showing others that you are comfortable with your own limitations and even with your failures, you make it ok to take risks and be human. This builds trust, which facilitates greater collaboration, and ultimately increases productivity.
“I used to think his blunt honesty was noble rather than what it really is which is just the cruelest way of hiding his own insecurities.”
Rebecca is not just dealing with a bit of stage fright though; she’s also coming to terms with her feelings towards her ex-husband and her own sense of self-worth. In an alley outside the gala, Rebecca opens up to Ted about this and reveals that her ex-husband would use honesty as a guise for bullying. There’s an incredible truth here, and it’s more than a leadership lesson; it’s a life lesson. Speaking the truth is not, in and of itself, noble. In fact, the truth can be weaponized as easily as fiction. In so many ways, truth can be used more insidiously. For this reason, I would say that the two tests of whether something should be said are 1) is it true, and 2) is it kind. As a leader, it is imperative that we watch for and stamp out bullying in any form. As a school administrator, I have unfortunately had to deal with this type of bullying more than once, both from students and from teachers. There simply is no place for it, and there can be no excuse. Defending speech on the grounds of its truth is simply not enough. Context and intent matter.
EPISODE 5: TAN LINES
“Make the extra pass.”
Unfortunately, Episode 5 sees more of the same from Jamie Tartt. The episode begins with Ted imploring Jamie during practice to be more of a team player and to pass the ball. Ultimately, Jamie fails to listen to Ted, and his antics end up in an on the field scuffle with teammates and other behaviors that clearly ostracize him from the rest of the team. So, Ted makes the difficult and yet obvious decision to bench his best player. This is a powerful lesson in leadership: sometimes, your most productive team member is actually the worst member of your team.
As a high school principal, I have said for years that I’ll hire attitude over expertise any day. I stand by that. Expertise can be learned, and its more common than people think. Attitude can be learned too, but it’s much more difficult to teach and so, more valuable. I had a supervisor once while working at Wake County Public Schools who used to say that “culture eats programs for breakfast.” Now, I know he didn’t invent the saying, but boy did he live it. And he was right. A positive, team-oriented attitude lifts everyone up, meaning it doesn’t just raise the productivity of the individual (like talent). It lifts everyone.
“I know change can be scary…I think that’s what it’s all about: embracing change, being brave.”
After Ted benches Jamie, he has to make a half-time speech to the team explaining his decision in an attempt to build their confidence. It’s a hilarious reminiscence of Ted’s youth and also a perfect reminder that while change can be scary, it’s also necessary. It’s also a reminder that bravery is not the absence of fear but instead the willingness to overcome it. This is a gutsy change by Ted. He knows that he’s going to be second-guessed for his decision, but he also knows it’s what is right for his team. So, he does what great leaders do: he focuses on the goal, makes the decision that needs to be made, supports his people, and moves forward.
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