The Ted Lasso Way: AKA My attempt to write a better article about a brilliant tv show that has been written about 1,000 ways already about the heart of effective leadership.

If you google “The Ted Lasso Way” or “The Ted Lasso Effect” you get a multitude of articles from Forbes to smaller leadership development websites breaking down what we can all learn from Ted Lesso. But you also get this quote from Season 3, Episode 8 (“The Strings That Bind Us”):

“Ted, it’s going to work. Total Football. And I’ll tell you why: The Lasso Way. 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. Doesn’t even matter what number four is.” 

The fact that a random television show on Apple Plus could completely fix corporate America is either brilliant or terrifying. Sadly most people can’t see what’s right in front of them so people like me have to write about it and break it down real slowly, but I digress…

That one line from reporter Trent Crimm perfectly encapsulates why Tedd Lasso is an effective leader even in an area where he is not an expert. It also explains why the team finally starts to gets it groove back shortly after his “what about believe in hope?” speech earlier in the season.

When Ted stays authentic to himself and his methods the team wins.

And what is authentic to him is honestly the example we all should follow. And it is far more nuanced than pretty speeches about optimism and kindness and encouragement going farther than yelling, berating and general aggression.

The players are willing to follow him because he takes the time, in small moments over and over again, to build trust. And that trust has all been building to this moment where he and the staff introduces their most unique strategy to date: total football.

Now on paper this is a strategy that has been used by real coaches in different sports before, but it’s not anything close to what the team has ever done. Traditionally the team runs like many businesses today. Everyone has their speciality and stays in their lane. The super star is front and center and everyone goes to them.

Which works…until it doesn’t in both life and football. But the refusal to change has been the downfall of many a person and a business before. However, the problems with instituting change successfully are infinite. People don’t normally like change and getting use to something new is usually very messy. Most people jump too quickly to the excuse “see I told you it’s not working” before really giving the new strategy a chance to really take hold and produce results. Sometimes trying to create “buy-in” isn’t even something discussed.

But in “The String that Binds Us” you see the team hold on to some really ridiculous ideas and training methods. And it is all because Ted has taken the past couple years to truly build enough trust for the team to hang on even in the most messiest and ludicrous of moments.

This leads Jamie Tart to his breakthrough which is truly the peak of this episode in so many ways. Not only does the team finally “get it” and the strategy of “total football” starts working, but it because Jamie steps up and shows leadership in a way we’ve yet to see.

“Stop going to me. Go through me.”

Jamie realized as a leader he couldn’t employ this strategy from being the one constantly up front and having everyone come to him (doesn’t that sound like a lot of leaders to you?). He had to take a step back. Act as the conduit. Assist with the flow. Only then will the team start to win. Ultimately the best leaders create more leaders. And if Tedd Lasso can inspire Jamie Tart to be a good leader anything is possible.

But why does overall concept of “total football” work not just on the field, but off of it?

There are many reasons, but I think ultimately it represents what happens when you take people out of boxes, letting them grow and trusting them to live to their fullest potential. It represents erasing lines and lanes and ushers in the highest levels of collaboration and exploration. It takes a lot more empowerment and real investment into individuals, teaching them things like flexibility, awareness and mental stamina. It requires leaders to take their hands off the wheel and leave room for people to make decisions in the moment and decide what’s best for each given situation. There’s no black-and-white blanket statements made out of the need to control. It’s training for instincts and tools instead of rules. But as we can see in the TV show it pays off.

So maybe its time for life to imitate art and let’s starting doing things the Ted Lasso Way.