Ted Lasso on Leadership – How a star becomes a leader

One of the many gems Ted Lasso addresses is the issue of how a star can become a leader. It’s an issue that I believe is not generally dealt with particularly well, in sport nor in business. How a star on the team can also be a teammate and, in some instances, they can become a leader.

Ted encapsulates the problem well when he said: "Jamie, I think that you might be so sure that you're one in a million, that sometimes you forget that out there, you're just 1 of 11. And if you just figure out some way to turn that 'me' into 'us'...the sky's the limit for you.”

It’s good advice. How do you see past yourself, your own desires and wants, and see what the group needs? Still being a star, as those skills contribute to the group, but also adjusting so that you set a better standard and help others lift. I’ve addressed the role of a team mate, in part, at Ted Lasso on Leadership: Developing your people and learning from them so I’m going to focus on the star as a leader.

Often, I suspect the star is promoted because they’re a star, not so much for their leadership abilities. I’ve seen both Executives and Boards caught in this trap - how to expect more from a star as a leader, yet feeling imperilled that they may upset them in setting a standard, or even just offering guidance, as to better performance.

Now I should acknowledge that, having just stated that stars are often promoted because they’re stars, I’m going to have to correct myself here. Sorry about that, but Roy manages this journey himself by being open to change, including seeking Keeleys’ help. However, I do note that, by this stage of his journey, he’s the aging player who once starred for Chelsea, now happily settled into a struggling smaller club (Richmond FC) and gradually awakening to the end of his time on the pitch. Hence we remain in the dark about Roys’ earlier leadership journey.

So what might be the elements of leadership that assists a stars’ journey?

Recognising what they’ve learnt on their stars’ journey and being prepared to use those insights to coach others:

• For some time after their promotion, they’re typically still seen in terms of being a star. They still feel that themselves. It’s what everyone knows. In sporting terms, their skills will diminish much faster than in business, but the issue remains the same. What is important is that the insight and background knowledge they’ve gained will remain even longer. Then the question is, can they use it, adjusting for different capabilities, can they impart it to others?
• Roy uses this to help Jamie understand the role he has to play in balancing being a star with being a team player. He tells Jamie that “Sometimes, when it is appropriate, yes, be a pr..k.” He’s giving Jamie permission, at times, to be the star – steal possession, split the opposition, get in their heads, score goals. But the default is to be part of the team and the exception is when it will lift the team, not put them in his shade.

In stepping into a leadership position, they need to shift to become a generalist:

• In business terms the leadership role may expose them to wider parts of the business - people & culture, finance, strategy, operations, PR, Marketing, Business Development, etc. Crucially each discipline has a different way of working, their own language, their own norms. It’s for the new leader to seek to understand the disciplines, their constraints, challenges and goals. And crucially they will need to resist the urge to ‘solve’ the issue (inevitably through the lens of their experience) and seek to better weigh competing interests as they build their leadership.
• A part of this for Roy was when he consulted the Diamond Dogs (Ted, Coach, Higgins and Nate) to become comfortable with how he felt being excluded from photo shoots, new territory for an old star. Not terribly related to the point I’m trying to make, but I trust the point is self-evident.

Generally the promotion will also entail ensuring the success of their successor as they shift between the tactical and the strategic:

• We saw how Roy worked with his successor, Isaac McAdoo, to help him become comfortable in his new leadership role as Captain. Roy showed him how to trust himself and his experience, to relax into the role.
• We also saw the team going up against the Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. Rare air for the Richmond FC. They know they don’t have the team to beat Man City, so they think strategically and borrow from the NFL. Perhaps an unlikely example, but it illustrates the opportunity for original strategic thinking to throw the opposition off guard, trusting your team to execute and, ultimately letting your new leaders lead. Though, it’s also a lesson that in the end the better prepared and better resourced are more likely to prevail, as Man City do in this game.

Diplomacy:

• Previously as the star they’ve been able to speak out. Perhaps get away with things others wouldn’t. But now they’re a leader. It’s starts looking very different when you have a mouthy leader or if they’re seen to go off on a tangent and not see the full picture. Perhaps more than before, they now must learn the place of diplomacy, reading and pacing their audience and measuring themselves.
• It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear. It’s not what you do, it’s what they see. Self-awareness will never be more important. And with that is a requirement to also be honest with themselves, is this what they’re meant to do?

And ultimately, I’ll defer to Roy to point to the why of leadership. He gives up the easy gig of TV commentator to return to what he truly loves and, in doing so offers an insight into what will make him a great leader on and off the pitch –

“.. to look them in the eye and encourage them to be better than they ever thought they were capable of being.”

That’s leadership.