Lasso Leadership
If you’re like me, reading is an acquired taste or you may just struggle with finding the time to fit it in your day. I fall in both categories, although one of those, admittedly is an excuse. Either way...I prefer other sources to “drink from the well”. Most recently, I stumbled upon on a leadership gold mine & my new favorite TV show, Ted Lasso.
If you’ve seen the show, you know this well directed show has a clever plot filled with leadership concepts throughout. If you haven’t seen it, here’s a quick overview: Ted is a fairly successful American college football coach who was hired to run an English soccer club in the European Premier League (professional level). Certainly, a tall order for an American the knows little to nothing about soccer. The episodes depict the challenges that you would expect to see; a foreigner that is challenged with learning the sport, the English culture as well as Ted finding a way for his new team to trust him.
Despite Ted’s challenges, he steps over obstacles with tried-and-true leadership concepts that are worth repeating.
It’s Not about Winning or Losing. Ted’s soccer team was mediocre at best, so it’s not like he was coming on to an All-Star team. With Ted’s first loss underway, he faced a bit of backlash and scrutiny. His reply, “It’s not about winning or losing”.
A concept I became familiar while studying Coach John Wooden. Although Coach Wooden is known for being one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time, you’ll find in his principles that coaching was never about winning. It’s about developing the young athletes into being the best versions of themselves, on and off the court. Winning is merely a side effect from players being disciplined, unselfish and concerned with character over reputation.
Be a Goldfish Amongst the Players. On Ted’s team, one of them was Sam. A talented player that lacked confidence. In one instance, Sam was beating himself up for missing a goal. With his head down, Ted saw an opportunity to coach him up. Ted explains to Sam, “do you know what the happiest animal on earth is?”. “A goldfish...do you know why...because he has a 10 second memory...be a goldfish Sam”.
I love that! Too often we beat ourselves up over something that we failed at or because we encounter criticism. We stew on it; we think about how we could’ve done better or what we should have done. These thoughts can weigh you down and completely dismantle your self-esteem. Sure, you want to reflect and learn from your failure; but don’t stew on it. Learn from it and move on...Be a Goldfish!
Individualized Consideration. In one of the episodes, Ted and Coach Beard (who actually has a beard) gift each of their players a book. The audience doesn’t know it at the time, but each book was based on the player’s temperament and a tool that could enhance the player's character. Ted used these books as an additional source to develop his players that were reluctant to receive leadership from an American football coach.
The lesson here isn’t the books that he gifted, it was that Ted knew each of his players were different and each of them required different messages to inspire and motivate them. This concept is true for all humans that we lead, whether that be in a professional or personal capacity.
I could continue on with the endless nuggets that are intertwined in the show but Jason Sudeikis (plays Ted Lasso) is far more entertaining. Beyond all the concepts, Ted Lasso is a good reminder that leadership isn’t complicated. It’s as simple as buying a birthday cake for your co-worker or friend’s birthday, or lending your ear when someone needs to talk.
I’m sure there’s a book about all the stuff we see in this show, but Ted Lasso nails it for me! Until next time, Richmond Til We Die.
