Ted Lasso on Leadership, Negotiation, and Dealing with Conflict Lesson 1: The Power of Experimentation

By Joshua N. Weiss, Ph.D.

Hi everyone!? Like many of you I love the show Ted Lasso and its multitude of lessons.? As a leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution professional there are so many takeaways to be gleaned from the show.? In this new series I will explore these lessons through the bigger picture of the show, specific episodes and scenes from the 3 years the show ran, and the forthcoming 4th season.? If you are not a fan of the show, I encourage you to give it a try. It covers an amazing array of leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution issues and challenges that are well worth consideration and further exploration.? ??

All that stated, the lesson that I want to draw on is one related to the bigger picture and the power of experimentation. Often, from a leadership point of view, many people prefer to stay in their comfort zone and only take on challenges that they are secure with. That is not Ted Lasso. In fact, his willingness to travel 3,000 miles to take a job in another country, and in a sport that he had no knowledge of, wafts of experimentation and a willingness to take significant chances.

Why is experimentation so important for leaders?? There are a few reasons. The first has to do with a leaders mindset. When you are willing to experiment with new ideas you see opportunities that other leaders miss. The old adage, ‘you won’t know until you try’ fits well here. The second has to do with possible outcomes. While we all strive for success, leaders who experiment realize that failure is a possible outcome and don’t fear it. If failure does occur, there is a desire to deal with it, learn from it, and grow. The third reason experimentation is so important is because it takes you out of your comfort zone. By moving out of your comfort zone – like Ted did by moving to England and becoming the coach of a professional team in a sport he knew little about – you force yourself to evolve and not to become complacent in your life and career.? ?

?When I apply these lessons to my own life, I recall many interesting insights. I enjoy experimentation because of the unknown and what it might bring. For me, it is exciting to experiment with new ideas and ways of approaching problems and challenges. I also have experienced a good bit of failure in my own life and have tried to use those failures to help fuel my career. Indeed, the most memorable lessons in my life have come from not meeting my goals and trying to determine why and what I can do better in the future. And finally, some of the best experiences I have had in my career where related to projects and other opportunities that arose that I felt under prepared for. Why would I take on such challenges if that was the case?? Partly because I embraced the notion that failure was possible, but it did not really scare me, and partly because of the excitement of the unknown and the possibilities that come with it. For me, there is nothing like a good adventure and that always comes with a healthy dose of experimentation. ????

?Ted did not just bring this mindset to his own life, but also with those around him. Consider the example of his relationship with Nate. As the show progressed, Ted kept asking Nate for his thoughts on strategy and plays (at the time Nate was the kitman – AKA equipment guy -- with little formal experience). Nate often shared ideas that were not tested, but had promise, so Ted experimented with them. A lot of success came from that approach.?

?So, when an interesting idea comes up, or you want to try something a little different, bring an experimentation mindset to the table and see what happens. Sometimes you will succeed, sometimes you will fail, but in the end, you will always learn something for the future.? ??