Have you seen the Apple TV show, Ted Lasso?
10/10 recommend.
A little background for those that haven’t seen it.
Ted Lasso is an American football coach by trade and training. He leaves Witchita State after winning a D2 championship to take a top-level soccer job in England.
He is reading the equivalent of “Soccer for Dummies” on the plane ride over. He has never played the game and doesn’t know the rules. He’s not even a casual fan.
Everyone thinks he is going to crash and burn…
But he doesn’t.
Why?
Because he is the modern coach.
Let’s explore what gives him personal edge.
Focus on “what is there” not “what is lacking”
Just like bad coaches focus on what a player doesn’t have or can’t do, bad hiring managers would focus on his:
lack of playing experience
lack of experience in the sport he is coaching
Focusing on what someone can’t do is going to stop you from even entertaining the ideas of what they can do.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
-Albert Einstein
Steve Jobs didn’t program or write any code for Apple, but he could run the company.
Programming and running a company… 2 different skill sets.
Playing soccer and coaching soccer… 2 different skill sets.
Head coaching football and head coaching soccer… more similar than you think…
Why?
It’s all about the skill-stack
Even with all this “lack”… Ted is prepared for this job.
Because he has the skill-stack of the modern head coach:
Off the charts emotional intelligence (coach to player connection)
Uncanny ability to create and build cohesion (teammate to teammate connection)
Empowers and trusts his staff to use their unique strengths(staff connection)
Modern head coaches are connectors, facilitators… They are great CEOs.
Emotional Intelligence
Ted connects with his players. He understands the power of moments, the importance of storytelling, and the principle of giving ground to gain ground.
The Power of a Moment(click for a podcast link)
Moments matter. Why do you remember certain experiences like they happened yesterday?
There was emotion created around it. A lot of emotion.
When you promote someone on your staff. You can call them into the office, have a normal conversation, throw a new contract in their face, and be done with it.
But there is no power in that moment. Instead, you can opt for what Ted decided to do for Nate and he’ll never forget that day.
Note: There is “language” used in some of these clips, throw some headphones in if you’re at work
Tell the Best Story
Human beings run on narratives. If you’re a master storyteller, you can connect to anyone. Even your enemies, like in this scene. Ted confronts the previous owner who has hatched a plot to get the team back.
Give Ground to Gain Ground
Ted knows that to get respect, you have to give it first. To gain trust you have to give it away. You must give ground to gain ground. Modeling the behavior as the leader is the most reliable way to see it in your team.
Sharing about yourself, though it can be difficult is a way to make “inroads” with your players. Here Ted shares a story about himself at halftime.
Build Cohesion
Ted is a master at getting his players to feel close to each other, aligning them to execute the mission. Facing an uphill battle with the team’s energy low as they get on the bus to Everton, Ted uses a few tactics to try and change the energy in the room:
“Talk to me guys.”
He can’t begin to solve the problem if he doesn’t know what the problem is…
A quick conference with his assistant to align them to a plan
Uses humor to break down walls of communication
Gets the answer and now can begin to hatch a plan to solve it
Empower Staff Members
Ted doesn’t know much about the tactics of soccer. But he often asks his staff for ideas and suggestions to improve the team’s tactical play on the pitch.
Even the equipment manager Nate draws up a few plays and gives his comments on how the team is playing. And Ted listens. If there is a better idea, regardless of who it is from, the best idea wins in their coaching room.
Nate is probably underpaid as the equipment manager but there are other ways to “feel valued” by the organization. If all you do is provide a paycheck, don’t be surprised when your people leave when offered a bigger paycheck.
Here Ted gives Nate something other than money… autonomy.
Ted Lasso is the modern coach.
He connects to his team.
He empowers the team and staff.
He models behavior.
He coaches the person before the player.
And his players love playing for him.
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We were the original Ted and Nate