Blog: Uplift your workplace with leadership lesson
Uplift your workplace with leadership lessons from Ted Lasso
There’s just something about summer that beckons us to ‘lighten up’ – lighten our attitudes, lighten our workload, lighten up on our routines. Summer is the perfect time to infuse a sense of positivity and refresh your relationships with coworkers.
And who better to draw inspiration from than the folksy and uplifting Ted Lasso, coach of the fictional AFC Richmond football team, and his fabulous supporting cast? Since the debut of the tv series bearing his name, this optimistic American-football-coach-turned-English-soccer-manager has captured the hearts of viewers and sparked discussions about the leadership model he embodies.
A recent article by Marcin Klinkosz highlighted 12 Ted Lasso leadership lessons that could transform the workplace, and we wanted to share them with you!
12 Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso
This section was inspired by Marcin Klinkosz’ original article on LinkedIn, edited for length and clarity.
1. Believe in yourself:
Self-confidence is vital for effective leadership. By trusting in your abilities and persisting through challenges, you inspire trust and respect from others.
2. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing:
In a world filled with ethical dilemmas, prioritize integrity and moral values. Making decisions based on fairness and doing what is right fosters respect and builds trust within your team.
3. All people are different people:
Recognize and celebrate the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each team member brings. Creating an inclusive work environment promotes collaboration and strengthens the team as a whole.
See our post last month about how to incorporate microaffirmations into your workplace
4. See the good in others:
Focus on the strengths of your team members and provide support to help them grow. By empowering your team, you create a positive environment where everyone can thrive.
5. Courage is about being willing to try:
Encourage your team to take risks and step out of their comfort zones. Cultivate a culture of experimentation and innovation, where both successes and failures are seen as opportunities for growth.
6. Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness:
Being open about your mistakes and feelings fosters trust and connection within your team. Encourage honest communication and create a safe space for team members to share their thoughts and emotions. A vulnerable leader is an authentic and relatable leader.
7. Tell the truth:
Honesty is essential for building trust and credibility. Foster a culture of transparency and encourage your team to embrace open and honest communication. The resulting accountability and mutual respect will help your team navigate challenges together.
8. Winning is an attitude:
Success is not just about achieving specific outcomes but also about cultivating a mindset of positivity, determination, and resilience. Inspire your team to approach challenges with a winning attitude and to remain focused on the bigger picture, even when faced with setbacks.
9. Optimists do more:
A positive outlook fuels motivation, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Encourage your team to look for opportunities in every situation and to maintain a positive attitude, even when faced with setbacks. By fostering an optimistic environment, you'll create a more engaged and productive team that's better equipped to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
10. Stay teachable:
Embrace the concept of lifelong learning and continually seek out opportunities for growth and development. Encourage your team to do the same and support their efforts to learn and improve. By staying teachable, you'll foster a culture of curiosity and adaptability that can help your team navigate an ever-changing business landscape.
11. Be a goldfish:
Don't dwell on mistakes or let them define you. Learn from them and move on quickly, just like a goldfish forgetting things within 10 seconds. Instill this mindset in your team to promote resilience and adaptability. By adopting a "goldfish mentality," your team will be better equipped to bounce back from setbacks and to continue moving forward with confidence.
12. Happiness is a choice:
While external circumstances can influence our emotions, we ultimately have control over our own happiness. Choose to cultivate happiness by focusing on gratitude, positivity, and self-care, and encourage your team to do the same. A happy team is more likely to be engaged, productive, and motivated to succeed.
There you have it. Leadership lessons from our favorite fictional coach. But we would be remiss to leave it there. After all, flanking Ted and his team of unconventional stars and underdogs are two women who, in their own unconventional way, inspire and hold the team together.
Behind every great leader – or at least this one – is an influential woman (or two)
First, there’s Rebecca Walton, the ex-wife of the former team owner bent on destroying the club due to a messy divorce. Through personal growth and a willingness to embrace the sweet with the bitter, Rebecca becomes an engaged and supportive leader in her own right. In her somewhat guarded and calculating approach, imparts these leadership tips:
1. Recognize the strengths that coexist alongside your perceived weaknesses
Rebecca said, I know that being a boss is like being a teacher, and I’m very comfortable in a position of power, so I should have no problem teaching. Which is good because that’s all I ever wanted to do anyway. My mother always said I was bossy. I think she meant it as a compliment.
In other words, you get to decide what you do with feedback, however constructive or tactless it may be. When feedback seems negative, take the time to turn it over a few times and see if there isn’t an opportunity in it to refine your identity as a leader and a person.
2. Don’t let fear of failure suppress your growth
A good leader knows that making an impact requires taking risks – risks that could lead to success or failure. But Rebecca frames the prospect of failure this way: I have just as much to learn from losing as I do from winning. Model to those around you how to be courageous in your journey and how to celebrate the wins as well as the perceived losses.
3. Value good ideas from unexpected sources
According to Rebecca, You don’t have to be an expert to have a good idea. Leaders who embrace this perspective not only encourage more innovative idea sharing but help create a more inclusive company culture where ideas are attributed value based on merit, not contributor’s perceived rank or expertise.
Rebecca takes this perspective into her personal life when she becomes friends with her less serious and vivacious counterpart Keely Jones, recognizing in Keely some strengths that differ so starkly from her own. While not a leader in the traditional sense, Keely is an influencer, not only through her profession as a model but as a peacemaker and voice of empowerment among the AFC Richmond squad and leadership.
1. Make confidence your base-layer
As one who has overcome the low opinion and doubt of others to become a formidable professional, Keely claims that Confidence is the sexiest accessory a person can wear.
You can’t control what others think about you, she said, but you can control how you respond. In every area of life, there will be people who you have a difficult time connecting with. When you are clear about your strengths, weaknesses, responsibilities, and goals, you can show up and unapologetically do your best.
2. Actively seek your own opportunities
Finally, Keely leaves us with this advice: Sometimes you have to make your own opportunities. Successful leaders often rise because they are not content to wait for opportunities to be handed to them – they look for opportunities to ask a question, improve a process, or try something new. What’s more, seeking out your own opportunities keeps work and life dynamic and interesting, and serves as inspiration to those around us.
We hope you enjoyed these leadership lessons from Ted, Rebecca, and Keely. Choose a couple that resonate with you to hone in this summer!
One last tip – if you need an additional boost of positivity, make Ted Lasso your go-to summer series (you know, for those overcast or too-hot days). Stream it on Apple TV.
