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Ted Lasso, Manager at AFC Richmond

Ted Lasso (/ˈlæsoʊ/ LASS-oh; born 1975) is an American college football coach who gained international recognition for his innovative coaching methods and positive management style during his tenure coaching English soccer team, AFC Richmond.

And for those who have been living under a rock, or at the very least are somewhat uncoupled from the cultural zeitgeist, Ted Lasso is also fictitious. He’s a character. Made up. A complete and utter fugazi. But even though Coach Lasso may not walk amongst our mortal souls, a lot can be learnt from him.

Leadership lessons you see, need not be from real people. There are lessons to be learnt all around you. Our recent deep dive on a fictitious Stark King of old is case in point. Today’s story will be no different. This is a story of leadership through empathy. Leadership the Lasso Way.

Early years

A young Coach Lasso, at the time known simply as Theodore, was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Kathryn Lasso (née Wendt) and Jeremiah Lasso. He grew up an eager and athletic child, and played college football as a quarterback at Wichita State University.

_{*Note: This whole section is entirely made up. You know that right? Seriously though—I am mixing Jason Sudeikis, the character of Ted Lasso and my own imagination. Stick with me.}

After sealing their Division II title, Coach Lasso went semi-viral for a ‘Happy Dance’ he shared with his players in the change rooms after the game.

It was this dance that would be the catalyst for a totally new life experience for Ted, after it got the attention of the new owner of the Premier League’s, AFC Richmond, Rebecca Welton.

Career in the Premier League

Although Coach Lasso and his team, The Greyhounds, may not have lit up the scoreboard during his three-year coaching stint in the Premier League, they were able to play with considerable passion and heart, rebounding from a heartbreaking relegation after the first year under Ted’s reign.

But this isn’t a story of silverware and dynasties. It’s not about Sir Alex Ferguson or Manchester United. Ted’s journey isn’t defined by dominance—it’s defined by growth. His success wasn’t measured in wins, but in the transformation of a team, a culture, and himself.

Before we unpack Ted’s coaching philosophy, it’s worth asking: where did his mindset come from? After all, no coach—real or fictional—builds their style in a vacuum. Ted may have brought biscuits to the pitch, but behind the mustache and Midwest charm were lessons forged from his own heroes.

From high school gyms to NBA arenas, from grassroots football to Premier League sidelines, Ted's inspirations span continents and courts. Let’s take a quick detour into the playbooks that shaped him.

Coaching heroes

Coach Lasso’s coaching inspirations were numerous, but with a heavy slant to famous coaches from two sports: football (soccer) and basketball. On the basketball side, he cited people from nine-time NBA champion Steve Kerr to his high school coach, Donnie Campbell.

_{*Ok ok, me again. These coaching heroes are actually the heroes of Ted Lasso—or at least the creator of Ted, the actor who played him Jason Sudeikis.}

But Ted’s biggest north star was the legendary NCAA coach John Wooden. Wooden won a record ten national championships at UCLA and was as known for his character-building philosophy as his win record.

Wooden was not only famous for his championships wins but also his philosophy that emphasised character and personal integrity—sounding familiar? Wooden would actually leave his lasting imprint on sport at large, when he developed the ‘Pyramid of Success,’ a conceptual blueprint for personal and team success. The Pyramid hangs in Ted Lasso’s office at AFC Richmond.

Wooden was renowned for his timeless wisdom, often delivered in sharp, memorable phrases. Among his most quoted: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen,” and “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” But the one that sticks with me most is the one below.

But Ted didn’t just draw from the sages of the past. His coaching ethos also borrowed from modern leaders like Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool FC’s charismatic manager. Klopp’s approach to culture-building and emotional connection rubbed off on Ted—who even took his squad to karaoke as a team-bonding exercise in 2018, echoing Klopp’s famous squad night out. That spirit of unity became a cornerstone of Ted’s time at Richmond.

The Lasso Way: A Different Kind of Playbook

Ted’s playbook of success—The Lasso Way—is well documented. But over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to distil the philosophies into bite sized pieces you can take away with you.

But first, let me set the tone with a quote that perfectly captures how Ted thought about building culture within his teams.

That says it all. If we’re going to dissect the Lasso playbook, it starts right there; with identity, trust, and culture. Here’s how I’d sum up what made his approach work.

• Treat everyone with the same respect: In his first days at Richmond, Coach Lasso meets Nate, a kit man, one of the lowest ranking jobs in a football club. Instead of brushing him off as an underling, he makes note of introducing himself and showing him respect. And learning his name. Something that is incredibly powerful in relationship building.

• Work hard to build relationships: Ted also worked incredibly hard to build relationships that matter at the club once he joined. He began a habit of brining biscuits to the new owner Rebecca every time they meet. This small gesture went a long way to creating a bond between the two.

• Realise you are not always the smartest person in the room: Ted is not someone who thinks that his decisions making ability trumps others. Yes, Ted is self-aware of the fact that he doesn’t know European football but he also just has a habit of allowing the best idea to win. Take when Nate has an idea for a new strategy. Ted could pre-judge that idea based on Nate's youth and inexperience. Instead, he backs him in and it leads to the teams’ success. This is something Ray Dalio would refer to as an Idea Meritocracy.

• Put the team above the individual: Jamie Tartt, AFC Richmond’s most skilled player, was benched by Coach Lasso for not playing team football. This was to the detriment of the team in the short term but the right decision for the long term health of the organisation. No one person should be put above the team.

• Foster a growth mindset: Ted, his staff, his players and the club, all faced turmoil at some point during his tenure at AFC Richmond. They were always able to eventually overcome this by adopting a growth mindset—focusing on continuous improvement and learning from failures.

• Build a team that compliments you: Coach Lasso knew he didn’t have what it took to coach this side on his own. He needed everyone that he put around him. Coach Beard, Roy Kent, Nate and more, were those that Ted would lean on when he needed them.

• Lead by example, show vulnerability: Ted was always able to lead by example within his organisation. He would show vulnerability when necessary, and make tough decision when the time required it as well. This allowed him to foster trust with his team.

• Build the culture above all else: Coach Lasso’s combined strength of all of the points above culminates in one thing—a strong culture. Whether it’s a non-profit, tech company or sporting club, the culture that you build radiates through all of those around you. Choose how you behave with this fact in mind.

Ted was by no means perfect. No one person is. But he was someone who strived to be better each and every day. Because of this, his team were drawn in, and couldn’t help but to follow his example.

Some favourite Ted-isms

Future

Let’s break the fourth wall for a moment—yes, Ted Lasso is fictional. But also yes: Ted Lasso is the kind of leader we should all strive to be. Kind. Empathetic. Humble. A mentor who puts people first, leads with care, and believes in second chances. If leadership is about lifting others, Ted showed us how.

And if we can’t be like Ted today, we should all be working to be just that little bit more like Ted tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day after that. Because, as Coach Lasso says; “Every day is a chance to be better than we were the day before.”

Fun facts

• Ted Lasso started as a set of commercials: Years before the series Ted Lasso started as a set of commercials for NBC Sports. See them here and here.

• NBA coaches learn from Lasso: Ex-Utah Jazz, and current Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder says lessons in Ted Lasso are ‘required viewing’ for all coaches. Ted replied in kind.

• Richmond AFC could exist: The Richmond from the show is actually Richmond Park, or rather the Crown Estate of Richmond Park, located in the county of Surrey, 45 minutes away from London.

Extra reading & listening

• 10 Leadership Lessons From Ted Lasso - August, 2021

• Amazing Leadership Lessons From Ted Lasso - October, 2021

• Leadership Lessons from Season One of Ted Lasso - November, 2021

And that’s it! You can watch the entire Ted Lasso series on Apple TV+ here.

BRAIN FOOD 🧠 

As someone who listens to both Pivot, and Pod Save America (heavily left leaning), along with All-In, and Pirate Wires (both right) most weeks, this episode of the All-In podcast was my favourite. If All-In wants to be taken seriously for their political journalism they need to tell both sides of the story. This was the first step in doing it. A really great listen, if not a bit difficult at times.

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