🚨TED LASSO SPOILER ALERT 🚨
Have you noticed a trend in business articles referencing the lessons from Coach Ted Lasso’s leadership style? I certainly have – and I love the parallels. So when watching the latest episode last night, I couldn’t help but view it with the leadership-focused lens.
⚽ BACKGROUND ⚽
Coach Lasso adopts a concept called “Total Football” – a playing style that empowers players to take over the role of any other player in the moment for the greater good of the team. The team initially struggles, but in the end executes the strategy perfectly and leaves the field excited, empowered, and hopeful.
After the game, reporter Trent Crimm (pictured) runs up to Coach Lasso and exclaims “Ted, it’s going to work…You haven’t switched tactics in a week. You’ve done this over three seasons by slowly but surely building a club-wide culture of trust and support through thousands of imperceptible moments all leading to their inevitable conclusion. Total Football. It’s gonna work!” The coaches smile and move on, but as an audience we are left wondering if this was Coach Lasso’s plan all along. 🤔
So what did Season 3, Episode 7 teach us about leadership? Here are at least two themes that jumped out to me…
🤝 BUILDING TRUST 🤝
Corporations are made of people, and as businesses grow and innovate, employees often need to pivot course. As a compliance or risk management leader, you are responsible for advising and guiding business leaders through change and disruption. You want employees to know that your ideas are not arbitrary, but thoughtful, tactical, and working towards the greater good of the company.
Trust is hard to earn, and easy to lose. Be patient and take the time to build trust with your business leaders and teams through not only the big presentations and firm-wide trainings, but in the small, imperceptible moments as well.
👊 EMPOWERING OTHERS 👊
It is (relatively) easy to TELL people what to do. Write it in down in a policy, make them certify that they read it, send regular reminder emails, etc. While documentation and consistency in messaging is important, the most impactful and inspiring leaders I have worked with are the ones that TEACH their teams how to make decisions in the moment.
Next time you want a business unit to adopt a new strategy or approach, invest the time in working with them to explain the “why” behind your ask, listen to their feedback and concerns, and trouble-shoot together. You will thank yourself later.
I hope you enjoyed the episode and these takeaways! What are some of the lessons you have learned from Ted Lasso’s leadership style?