Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 12.0 – “Personal Board of Directors”
In leading the Richmond Greyhounds, Ted Lasso has his ‘Diamond Dogs.’ This group is called to help with personal issues. There’s some silliness in their howling when convening and concluding. Its purpose, however, is serious. This group provides comradery, trust, counsel and caring. The Diamond Dogs got me thinking. When you have tough, personal choices, […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 11.0 – “Show Respect to Everyone”
I don’t know if this story is true, but it’s been repeated often enough that it must be fact. A Wharton MBA professor’s final exam had one question. “What’s the name of our custodian?” I love that story. People are important. Relationships matter. You need to know and respect all the folks that are contributing […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 10.0 – “Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously”
We all know that safety is serious business. We’re here to protect people, environment, assets, and reputation (PEARs!). Speaking with HSE professionals, I know you’re overworked and sometimes (most times?) stressed. It’s like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Despite the burden of leading safety (or, more accurately, enabling others to […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 9.0 – “Grow Your Own Talent”
Early on, Ted Lasso identifies Roy Kent as a leader. With purpose, Ted devises ways to give him opportunities to demonstrate his skills and grow. From handling interpersonal conflict to one-on-one coaching to simply walking away and letting Roy do his thing, Ted’s intent is purposeful. When season three ends, it’s no surprise that Roy is […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 8.0 – “Empower Others to Solve Problems”
Early in Ted’s tenure at Richmond, he runs into personnel issues. Nate is getting picked on. Jamie and Roy don’t like each other. Ted refuses to ‘fix’ the problem. Instead, he looks to emerging leaders to fix their own problems. It works. The team eventually comes to Nate’s support. Roy and Jamie become great friends. […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 7.0 – “Have Fun”
One of the fundamentals of Ted’s coaching style is to have fun. Can you have fun while promoting safety? Afterall, safety is serious business. The answer is, of course you can! I’m curious, what are some things YOU do to make safety fun? Please share them! Here are some ideas to get you thinking: Have […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 6.0 – “Ask the Team”
Ted and team face an impossible task. Beat a team they have never beaten before. What does the coaching staff do to prepare for a seemingly impossible victory? They ask the team for ideas. They brainstorm. They plan. They practice and they execute (a friend once said 1 point for the idea, 2 points for […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 5.0 – “Persistence”
Throughout the TV series, Ted demonstrates his persistence in building his relationship with his boss. His ‘go-to’ technique is to bring her homemade biscuits. At first Rebecca is resistant. Eventually, Ted’s persistence wins her over. It got me thinking about how many times safety professionals ‘give up’ on the right idea in the face of resistance. Why […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 4.0 – “The Value of Symbols”
Throughout the TV series, Ted presents various characters with toy soldiers. Soldiers are given for a specific reason and in a specific pose. An example is the soldier with binoculars that star footballer Jamie Tart receives. The binoculars symbolize that Ted is “looking out” for him. As safety leaders there are two big messages to […]
Ted Lasso’s Lessons in Safety Leadership 3.0 – “Small Wins & Listening”
In the early episodes of Ted Lasso, the Greyhounds are not amused by the presence of Ted Lasso as their coach. Ted recognizes that and embarks on a ‘listening’ tour to understand the issues the team is facing. He picks one simple problem that has not been solved for years. Nice showers with strong water […]