I was late to the “Ted Lasso” series so there were some seasons of binge watching. From its earliest days on Apple TV, I kept hearing about this show from my colleague at StarBridge Advisors, David Muntz. He
loved it! My husband and I finally started watching some time last year and saw the season 3 finale last week along with all the other devoted fans.
There are so many lessons to share from this incredibly upbeat soccer coach who we came to know and love. Here are a couple pieces worth reading whether you are a fan or not – no spoilers:
- ‘Be a goldfish’ and 16 more Ted Lasso lessons for hospital leaders by Bari Faye Dean in Becker’s Hospital Review on June 2, 2023.
- If You Want to Know If Someone Is Worth Your Time, Use the Ted Lasso Curiosity Rule by Charlie Brown, published by Medium on April 18, 2023.
If you haven’t already clicked through to the Becker’s article link above to read perspectives on the lessons from well-known healthcare leaders, please do. In the meantime, here are the lessons:
- Lead with empathy.
- Being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak.
- Optimism is infectious.
- Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.
- Winning and losing aren’t everything.
- Optimists take more chances.
- Everyone differs from everyone else.
- Embrace change.
- Empowerment breeds confidence.
- Winning is an attitude.
- Humor cuts through tension.
- Courage is the willingness to attempt.
- Nobody is bigger than the team.
- Be self-aware and genuine. A truly authentic leader doesn’t have the time or the inclination to be anyone but themselves.
- Don’t dwell on mistakes or let them define you.
- Stay teachable.
I like all of them but 1, 4, and 13 are favorites. If you’re a fan of the show and have seen all three seasons, check this post series analysis out as well. If you haven’t seen the series but plan to yet, spoiler warning:
- In a sweet finale, ‘Ted Lasso’ has the last word on toxic masculinity by Matthew Gilbert in the Boston Globe on May 31, 2023.
Much as I enjoyed the entire series and all its feel good, inspiring goofiness, reading the Globe article pulled it all together for me. Yes, it is a show that unpacked toxic masculinity. Gilbert described it this way: “The popular series finished its run having fulfilled its unspoken series-long project: to unpack toxic masculinity. Frequently set in a men’s locker room, it was a veritable pu pu platter of issues and choices facing contemporary men, among them insecurity dressed as bluster, fear doing business as fury, an unwillingness to admit pain, and competition at all costs, all with flaming coals of ego in the center. The relationship between fathers and sons was a core theme, not just between Ted and his father and Ted and his son, but between Ted, the surrogate father, and the entire team, including the staff.”
I understand why my colleague David loved this show. He is the total opposite of toxic masculinity, which probably has a lot to do with why we make such great partners in business.
My husband and I were also fans of “Succession” and watched the series finale last week. Still processing that one. Hard to find leadership lessons there other than what not to do!
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