What leaders can learn from Ted Lasso

Like millions around the world, I have become enamored with Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso.” Not only did Ted arrive during our darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, he showed up for us as a new kind of hero.

He’s human and I believe we’ve all gravitated so strongly to Ted because he shows us what leadership can and should look like. And he demonstrates the concept of “first among equals”—the idea that all members of a team are equal despite status—by bringing kit man Nate into the fold in season one. But despite Ted’s encouragement, our beloved Nate is having some trouble adjusting to his new role—and so are we.

We find ourselves in season two more invested than ever in AFC Richmond, but our diamond in the rough, previously bullied underdog Nate, is making us feel sad and uncomfortable. His behavior as a leader has vacillated between brilliant (taking charge when Ted had to exit the field due to a panic attack) and downright abusive (his treatment of the new kit man Will).

But maybe Nate’s behavior is making us feel the way we do because we’ve seen this play out in our own organizations. The move from individual contributor to formal leadership role is not as simple as we’d like it to be. We often wrongly assume that because someone was good at their job, they will be good at helping others do their jobs.