Team Coaching Takeaways from "Ted Lasso"

Not long after the television series, Ted Lasso, was released on AppleTV+ did we start to see articles and commentary about the lessons in leadership embedded in the show. Executive coaches and leadership development professionals focused on the impact a leader can have when they are vulnerable, open-minded, inspiring, constantly learning and acting with integrity. While these summaries were helpful, the core messages were not necessarily new.

The competitive differentiator in business today is how people work together. Whether they are part of the same functional team or are a cross-functional group assembled and charged with a common goal, team performance is the key to success. While effective leadership helps a lot, a high performing team can deliver impactful outcomes with or without capable leaders in management. Here are the key takeaways from Ted Lasso that team coaches can use as a roadmap to delivering value to the organizations we serve.

Season 1

Ted Lasso, through its first season, offers several key lessons about teamwork:

1. Building Trust: Ted emphasizes the importance of trust among team members. He encourages openness, honesty, and vulnerability, which helps in fostering a supportive team environment. Ted “goes first”, inviting vulnerability from others.

2. Embracing Differences: Ted values the unique strengths and qualities each team member brings. He helps the team see how diversity in skills and perspectives can enhance team performance rather than hinder it.

3. Resilience: The show depicts how resilience in the face of setbacks is crucial for team success. His focus on lessons learned and the parables he shares about overcoming failure teach the team to learn from failures and to keep pushing forward.

4. Communication: Effective communication is highlighted throughout the season. Ted encourages open dialogue, active listening, and clear expression of thoughts and feelings. He uses storytelling as a path to learning and promotes better communication between team members.

5. Team Cohesion: Ted emphasizes the importance of unity and solidarity within the team. He helps his players see themselves not just as individuals but as part of a larger collective with a shared goal. This is a critical turning point in the show as superstars become more aware of themselves in the context of a group.

6. Personal Growth: The show explores how personal growth and development contribute to team dynamics. As the characters in the show have moments of increasing self-awareness, their interactions with other team members improve. Characters evolve both on and off the field, showing that individual improvement can lead to collective success.

Overall, season 1 of Ted Lasso underscores that successful teamwork is built on trust, positivity, resilience, effective communication, and a strong sense of unity.

Season 2

In Ted Lasso season 2, several key lessons about teamwork continue to emerge:

1. Dealing with Adversity: The season emphasizes how teams navigate through challenging times together. It explores how setbacks and personal struggles can affect team dynamics and performance.

2. Support and Empathy: Team members learn the importance of supporting teammates during difficult times. Characters show empathy towards each other's struggles, which strengthens their bond and overall team cohesion. This also continues to build trust amongst the team.

3. Handling Conflict: The season delves into how teams manage conflicts and disagreements. This is one of the greatest challenges for teams and avoiding conflict is never the best path. The show underscores the significance of resolving conflicts constructively and maintaining respect and understanding among team members.

4. Team Culture: The importance of a positive team culture is highlighted throughout the season. The show explores how shared values, traditions, and rituals contribute to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. Whether is it embracing the “BELIEVE” motto or their approach to pre-game cheers, the team begins to build a culture that bring them together.

5. Accountability: Season 2 addresses accountability both individually and collectively within the team. Characters learn to take responsibility for their actions and decisions, recognizing how it impacts team morale and performance. We recognize that accountability also builds trust on the team.

6. Resilience and Growth: As with the first season, resilience remains a key theme. The characters continue to face adversity and personal challenges, showing resilience in overcoming obstacles and growing stronger as a team.

Overall, Ted Lasso season 2 builds upon the themes of trust, empathy, effective communication, and personal growth established in the first season. It deepens the exploration of these themes within the context of evolving team dynamics and relationships and begins to make the connection between these team attributes and overall team performance.

Season 3

Ted Lasso's third season continues to highlight the power of teamwork. I would argue that by season 3, the team is self-leading in many respects. Here are some key lessons:

? Team over Individual: Despite Roy Kent's past as a hot-headed player, his transition into coaching emphasizes the importance of the team as a whole. Individual glory takes a backseat to the collective success of AFC Richmond.

? Vulnerability and Trust: As characters confront personal challenges, they learn to be vulnerable with teammates, fostering a deeper sense of trust and creating a stronger support system.

? Embrace Every Member: Whether it's Higgins overcoming his fear of public speaking or Nate navigating his internalized self-criticism, Richmond United values the unique strengths of each member.

As team coaches supporting high stakes challenges in business, our opportunity is to help teams (functional and cross-functional) identify their greatest opportunities for growth and then lean into experiences that build new team competencies and promote new behaviors. Just like Ted Lasso, we start by seeding experiences that promote vulnerability and build trust as this is the attribute that is both foundational and takes the most time to develop. As our team coaching progresses, we introduce ways to navigate conflict effectively and employ regular retrospectives to learn from mistakes and failures. Finally, as our coaching engagements come to an end, the team should be self-leading, focusing on their shared goals with a sense of unity and valuing each team member for their unique contributions. At this point, just as in Ted Lasso, we’ll know our job is done.

Copyright 2024, Hillary M. Wilson, J.D., PCC