My Leadership Crush- Ted Lasso

I don’t know if you have watched the apple tv series, Ted lasso yet. I will try not to give too many spoiler alerts, but if you have not yet watched it is a 100% must-see for multiple reasons. It has been a show that has given me a major serving of joy, laughter, and inspiration. It has been responsible for the biggest mental recalibration that I have undergone in some time… hence my serious crush that is equal to my 8-year-old self when I had New Kid on the Block posters covering my bedroom walls. (Joey McIntyre could do no wrong!)

 

If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is the classic duck out of water archetype. Ted Lasso is an American College Football coach hired to coach a Premier League Football Club in England. He knows nothing, literally nothing about soccer. But what he does come armed with is a serious arsenal of attitude, beliefs, and leadership strategies that more than make up for his lack of content. As I  watched the 10 episodes (that are all out now, but I had to watch them the old fashion way from week to week) I was mesmerized with his ability to stay positive, remain open and vulnerable, lean into forgiveness, and see the best in every person and situation even though he was stacked against bitter critics and impossible odds. So what have I learned, or remembered about what leadership during trying (and good) times should look like? Here are my top 4. There are countless connections, but here are the ones that really have stuck with me.

Motivation is not the same for everyone.

In the show, Ted learns quickly that his players will not be motivated out of their funk in the same ways or for the same reasons. But he has to get them all to the same place. He quickly devotes himself to figuring out what each player needs and strives to deliver that to them- along with a hefty ask to do the work. The combination of the players feeling seen and heard and recognized as individuals alongside being given a meaningful task to achieve (overtime… they certainly do not start winning every game all at once) seems to refuel their sense of purpose, commitment to themselves and the team, and help their respect and trust grow for their new coach. He cared enough to put the time into them, so they return that and start to care more about the outcome they are all working towards.

The connection here for me is that in our schools, in every leadership position, there are things we have to work with our teams to achieve. Be able to recognize, and then act on the idea that different people will need different things- time, conversations, understandings to bring their best to the work is essential. Yes, it means a lot of time. But I would argue that the time would be spent eventually in other places- putting out fires, managing burnout and trying to recalibrate. It is time well spent. It is something I am trying to be better at.

Vulnerability and Humility are a combo with investing in.

Being a big fan of Brene Brown, I saw so much of her work brought to life through Ted Lasso’s character. But reading words on a page in a book is very different than seeing them brought to life. Ted is walking vulnerability- he literally knows nothing about the sport. In this position he has a choice- to fake it or to admit it. The vulnerability of not knowing all the answers in the face of critics is daunting. Terrifying. But Lasso takes his time, works on relationships and moves one brick at a time. And as he has successes, he places the credit and accolades on the shoulders of those around him.  He is open that some of the best ideas that got the ball rolling were not his but from the water boy.

Even before the pandemic, it was not possible for leaders to have all the answers. Since the spring, I have felt much like Ted did as he got off the plane in London. Where am I, nothing looks familiar, how do I navigate in a space where I do not know any of the rules? It is hard and uncomfortable to be a leader and have to say to your team that you simply don’t know- more than once. It can eat away at confidence pretty quickly. But the choice to lean into that space actually opens it up for others to step into and help. Collaborate and problem solves, talk through options and think of how we can move forward. Together. It is scary, but having lived in this space the last 8 months I am grateful that this combo was part of my survival kit. Seeing it played out in Ted Lasso’s character helped bring that back into perspective.

You have to be able to enjoy the process- even when it is the hardest process you have ever faced.

Lasso is faced with a mountain of odds against him. He knows some see the task he has as impossible and are even plotting against him to fail. But he has what Grant Lichtman says is essential- A North Star. Lasso knows where he wants to go and finds excitement in hurdling the challenges that have been placed before him. He knows if he gets it right the lives of those he has just stepped into stand to be better and happier. He knows how good it will feel to be on the other side and because of that, he sees the process as space where he gest to play.

I think the parallels here are obvious- but it was a strong reminder for me. There is so much that is different about this year. There are so many new things for all of us to learn just to be able to feel good about the role we are playing. But even though it is so hard, the hardest I have ever faced in my career, it can also be a space to play in order to get to the other side – which will without a doubt be better than where we all were before.

Believe it is possible.

He starts out by taping a big sign that says “Believe” in the locker room. It’s corny, cheesy, and comes across as not age-appropriate for these grown men. But it quickly becomes clear that this is not just a word of show, but it is at the core of all that Lasso says, does and expects. There is accountability to this word.  Lasso does what all great leaders do: enable people to believe in themselves. (Yes, you will find such signs in every high school and college locker room, but with Lasso, the message is not a cliché; it resonates with authenticity.)

It is the authenticity of the word that has remained with me. The difference it makes when leaders truly believe in something and hold others to be accountable to it vs when something has to get done because it does and a leader is going through the motions. I have been on both sides of this coin, and man- do I feel the difference depending on the side I am on. The “fake it ’till you make it’ mantra has always been one that I have seen some value in….. but I have to say it is fading fast for me. In these times, I just don’t think that is enough.

It is not news that leaders who balance direction with guidance, belief with confidence, and purpose with conviction, are those who point their teams in the right direction and watch them fly. Or at least do their very best. Even though I have taken this show to heart, I still have days where I am not doing the 4 things that I have connected with. But every day is another day where I get to try again. This has always been one of my favourite truths about education. I need to give myself the same grace I give my students and my faculty and allow for each day to be a day where I get to be better than the day before,