Be a bit more Ted Lasso -please
You would be forgiven if you thought Ted Lasso was the CEO of some highly successful startup company causing a major shakeup in how to go about running an organisation. But you won’t find interviews and articles about Ted in the Financial or business section of the Sunday papers. You might expect to find him in the Sports section as he is the manager of a premiership league cub but neither he nor his club feature. Instead you will find him in the t.v. listings. Ted is the fictional manager of a fictional team at a fictional club, the central character of a comedy based around the idea of a small town American football coach who comes to management a top English Premiership club.
So why all the fuss? Well despite what I wrote earlier you will find reference to Ted Lasso in the business and financial section because his character is viewed as an ideal model of the new style compassionate management/leadership. He is the complete opposite of the traditional macho manager. Controversially in view of the setting he does not see his job in-terms of winning and losing, success he says is not measured by position in the league table. Not surprisingly the pundits don’t think he will last long in the job especially as by his own admission he knows next to nothing about the game.
Whilst most of the comments in the management media have been about whether this style of management would work in the real world there has been less focus on this as an example of transferable management skills. Here is an individual who moves from one area of business to a very different area , one in which he has no background, has no specialist knowledge, and on the face of it no specialist skills. Premiership managers are usually expected to have played the game at some level, and have gained experience and a track record of success in the lower divisions either that or achieved considerable success in European clubs. What Ted lacks in background experience and tactical knowledge he makes up for in people management skills. These enable him to unite a divided team, creat a positive atmosphere through out the organisation, establish a relationship of mutual respect and rapport with the chair of the board, build close links with local community groups and even win over a sceptical media who may still think he won’t succeed but rather wish he would.
Ted Lasso would not last five minutes in the real world because success is judged by performance, position in the league table is relevant, the bottom line does matter. However real managers would benefit from being a bit more Ted Lasso. Just as real organisations would benefit from recognising transferable skills.
Blair McPherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
