{"id":385,"date":"2025-04-01T13:13:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T20:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/?p=385"},"modified":"2025-05-03T20:26:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T03:26:37","slug":"ted-lasso-take-us-to-better-places","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/?p=385","title":{"rendered":"Ted Lasso, Take Us To Better Places"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world needs authentic vulnerability and leaders who build kinder (gezellig) places.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Rasmussen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I have mentioned in my book, I absolutely love the Apple TV show Ted Lasso.  At first I found it hard to understand my own attraction. I have cried during several episodes, usually through my laughter.   But I was not alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the show was initially written as a three-season series, it was recently announced that it will continue for at least one more season. Some have been critical of extending the plot line in response to its commercial success.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not me. I just yearn for more magic moments from Ted Lasso<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My beloved show is currently in production<\/a> and may air later this year or in 2026. And boy, do we need more Ted as we navigate a cultural moment of misguided masculinity and leadership malpractice. What we need from our leaders and each other has changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a quick primer on Ted Lasso<\/em>. Ted is an American Football coach hired to manage a British soccer club\u2013or football club, as they say on the other side of the pond. Ted is put in an awful situation. Unbeknownst to him, Ted is installed to ruin the team as revenge for a philandering ex-husband. Ted and the team fail miserably at first. However, Ted transcends abuses from media and fans and gradually wins everyone over with his positive spirit and focus on making team members better people above all else. Poignant moments and success on the soccer pitch (and elsewhere) follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While its Emmy accolades highlight brilliant acting and scripting, the show\u2019s unique appeal and big lessons lie in its titular character. With all his vulnerabilities, Coach Lasso radiates a transformative, nonviolent worldview.  Ted faces seemingly insurmountable challenges and a world conspiring against him. But his tenacious faith and humility shine. And like a healthy contagion in response to his vision, an interdependent, multicultural collective evolves around him. His ethos as a positive, compassionate man resonates with many, especially those seeking sanctuary from ruthless places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted Lasso\u2019s leadership mirrors an essential truth: lasting change doesn\u2019t come from force but from unwavering belief and vulnerable submission to that belief. While the pandemic made businesses cede control, it unveiled an undeniable reality\u2014trust isn\u2019t just a virtue; it\u2019s a necessity. As Ted\u2019s office sign proclaims, \u201cBelieve.\u201d In this context, \u201cBelieving\u201d means letting go, trusting, and embracing authenticity in the locker, board, and living rooms. It means owning our limitations, acknowledging our mistakes and seeing the potential in teamwork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re witnessing a rise of leaders who demonstrate a might-makes-right, never-admit-mistakes, mean-spirited leadership. And some at the top of our companies and institutions are cowering. They are abandoning democratic principles and violating my ultimate definition of leadership: entering unsafe places and making them safer for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted Lasso<\/em> offers us a much needed alternative. He role models leadership defined by decency and determination. He inspires\u2013trusting his players even as he pushes them to \u201cbelieve\u201d\u2014and operates from a place of authenticity, acknowledging mistakes and his own vulnerability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wrote about Ted and his positive example in my 2024 book, Better Places: Building Stronger Communities with Authenticity and Compassion<\/em><\/a>. Ted Lasso<\/em> was the #1 original streaming show<\/a> in 2023. As I pointed out in the book, its popularity showed our hunger for Better Places to work and live and for more vulnerable leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favourite episodes came in season three when team owner Rebecca Welton found herself stranded for an evening on a houseboat with a charming Dutchman. Rebecca is a hard-driving businesswoman who lets down her guard in this episode. She melts into the Dutch spirit of \u201cgezellig,\u201d<\/a> a feeling of cosiness, warmth, and sociability.  The Dutchman keeps dropping the word gezellig until she asks for a definition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This discussion leads to a night of warm conversation and wine (perhaps a little too much). In the morning as Rebecca prepares to leave she asks the familiar uncomfortable question of people in such a situation, \u201cUh, em, did we?\u201d He responds that they had not been physically intimate, but then as she leaves under his breath we hear him utter to himself, \u201coh yes we did.\u201d To those who know, this was meant to say: we may not have been physically intimate, but we were more than that. We were \u201cgezellig.\u201d This is something that may transcend physical intimacy to something we don\u2019t express often enough in English. Perhaps we can’t, given an American culture that is highly competitive, typically transactional and often cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gezellig is roughly equivalent to something I have mentioned several times in these blogs, what Danish and Norwegian people call \u201chygge.\u201d A warm, friendly atmosphere which is central to business and social dealings in Scandinavia. I\u2019m excited to share this with American leaders during a Norwegian retreat this summer<\/a>. I think Ted Lasso would be at home at the hygge-focused retreat. Although American, he cultivates a welcoming, egalitarian climate in the locker room and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also appreciated the story line that highlights Ted\u2019s anxiety issues and his work with a team psychologist. It\u2019s rare for a mainstream show to tackle mental health matters in such a healthy way. Ted is distraught during these episodes of extreme anxiety, including a panic attack during a game which leads him to flee the stadium. At first Ted claims food poisoning. But later he gets vulnerable, admits the panic attack and publicly addresses the issue of mental health in sports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone who has experienced panic attacks, I\u2019m grateful to the show for representing this very real problem and reducing the stigma associated with it. Again, leadership is going into unsafe spaces (or topics) and making them safe for us to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the panic problem, Ted shows resolve and courage in the most critical ways. He repeatedly stands up for what\u2019s right. A delicious moment comes when Ted defeats Rebecca\u2019s cocky ex-husband Rupert in a game of darts. The victory isn\u2019t about Ted\u2019s ego but about supporting Rebecca. Rupert\u2019s loss means he can\u2019t sit beside his ex-wife in the owner\u2019s box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted embodies the kind of leadership that\u2019s needed today. It\u2019s no longer good enough to be a barking boss, issuing commands from on high, oblivious to how employees are actually doing. We\u2019re in a business world that requires humbleness and shared decision-making to respond effectively to ever-more rapid changes. A business world that calls on leaders to reveal their \u201creal\u201d selves\u2013not some cardboard, focus-group-tested set of messages. What’s more, the business world now demands those with greater responsibility to care for the holistic well-being of their followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted also is about as far as you can get from the kind of masculinity and leadership on the rise in too many places. Lasso leadership, if you will, does not relish forcing people to \u201cbend\u201d to its will. It does not bully, scare, or cower in response to bullying and fear. Instead it models a transcendence of fear. It represents humanity, frailty and imperfection as valuable assets in a diverse community. It is not winner-take-all but all-can-be-winners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

May our leaders in Washington and in other places of power today take lessons from Ted Lasso<\/em>. May all of us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I said, season four of Ted Lasso can\u2019t get here soon enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Verden trenger ekte s\u00e5rbarhet og ledere som skaper snillere (gezellige) steder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Av Robert Rasmussen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Som jeg har nevnt i boken min, elsker jeg virkelig Apple TV-serien Ted Lasso<\/em>. I begynnelsen forsto jeg ikke helt hvorfor jeg ble s\u00e5 tiltrukket av den. Jeg har gr\u00e5tt under flere episoder, ofte midt i latteren. Men jeg var ikke alene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selv om serien opprinnelig var skrevet som en trilogi, ble det nylig kunngjort at den vil fortsette med minst \u00e9n sesong til. Noen har kritisert dette som et resultat av kommersiell suksess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ikke jeg. Jeg lengter etter flere magiske \u00f8yeblikk med Ted Lasso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Min kj\u00e6re serie er n\u00e5 under innspilling og kan komme p\u00e5 lufta senere i \u00e5r eller i 2026. Og vi trenger virkelig mer av Ted akkurat n\u00e5, i en tid preget av misforst\u00e5tt maskulinitet og lederskap p\u00e5 avveie. Det vi trenger fra v\u00e5re ledere \u2013 og fra hverandre \u2013 har endret seg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Her er en rask innf\u00f8ring i Ted Lasso: Ted er en amerikansk fotballtrener som f\u00e5r jobb som manager for en britisk fotballklubb. Han settes i en forferdelig situasjon \u2013 uten \u00e5 vite det, er han ansatt for \u00e5 \u00f8delegge laget som hevn mot en utro eksmann. I starten mislykkes Ted og laget katastrofalt. Men han trosser kritikken fra medier og fans, og vinner dem gradvis over med sin positive \u00e5nd og fokus p\u00e5 \u00e5 gj\u00f8re spillerne til bedre mennesker. Sterke \u00f8yeblikk og suksess \u2013 b\u00e5de p\u00e5 og utenfor banen \u2013 f\u00f8lger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seriens Emmy-priser vitner om str\u00e5lende skuespill og manus, men den unike appellen og de dype l\u00e6rdommene ligger i hovedpersonen selv. Med all sin s\u00e5rbarhet utstr\u00e5ler trener Lasso en ikke-voldelig og livsforvandlende livsfilosofi. Han m\u00f8ter enorme utfordringer og en verden som virker mot ham, men hans urokkelige tro og ydmykhet skinner gjennom. Rundt ham vokser et gjensidig avhengig, flerkulturelt fellesskap. Hans etos som en positiv og medf\u00f8lende mann resonerer spesielt sterkt hos dem som s\u00f8ker tilflukt fra n\u00e5del\u00f8se milj\u00f8er.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted Lassos lederskap speiler en essensiell sannhet: varig endring skjer ikke gjennom makt, men gjennom urokkelig tro og s\u00e5rbar overgivelse til denne troen. Pandemien tvang mange virksomheter til \u00e5 slippe kontrollen, og avsl\u00f8rte en uunng\u00e5elig realitet \u2013 tillit er ikke bare en dyd, det er en n\u00f8dvendighet. Som det st\u00e5r p\u00e5 Teds kontorskilt: \u201cBelieve.\u201d \u00c5 tro betyr her \u00e5 gi slipp, ha tillit og omfavne autentisitet \u2013 b\u00e5de i garderoben, styrerommet og stua. Det betyr \u00e5 erkjenne v\u00e5re begrensninger, innr\u00f8mme feil og se kraften i samarbeid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vi ser n\u00e5 en \u00f8kning av ledere som viser en maktorientert, aldri-innr\u00f8m-feil-holdning. Og noen p\u00e5 toppen av v\u00e5re institusjoner tier eller trekker seg unna. De svikter demokratiske prinsipper og bryter med min ultimate definisjon av lederskap: \u00e5 g\u00e5 inn i utrygge rom og gj\u00f8re dem tryggere for andre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted Lasso tilbyr et s\u00e5rt tiltrengt alternativ. Han er et forbilde for lederskap preget av anstendighet og besluttsomhet. Han inspirerer \u2013 stoler p\u00e5 sine spillere samtidig som han utfordrer dem til \u00e5 \u201ctro\u201d \u2013 og han opererer med ektehet, ved \u00e5 erkjenne b\u00e5de feil og sin egen s\u00e5rbarhet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Jeg skrev om Ted og hans positive eksempel i boken min fra 2024, Better Places: Building Stronger Communities with Authenticity and Compassion<\/em>. Ted Lasso<\/em> var den mest sette originale str\u00f8mme-serien i 2023. Som jeg p\u00e5pekte i boka, viste dens popularitet at vi lengter etter bedre steder \u00e5 jobbe og bo \u2013 og etter mer s\u00e5rbart lederskap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En av mine favorittepisoder kom i sesong tre, da lagets eier Rebecca Welton tilbringer en kveld p\u00e5 en husb\u00e5t med en sjarmerende nederlender. Rebecca, en beinhard forretningskvinne, slipper ned garden i denne episoden. Hun smelter inn i den nederlandske \u00e5nden av \u201cgezellig,\u201d en f\u00f8lelse av kos, varme og sosialt n\u00e6rv\u00e6r. Nederlenderen gjentar ordet \u201cgezellig\u201d til hun til slutt sp\u00f8r hva det egentlig betyr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dette f\u00f8rer til en kveld med varme samtaler og vin (kanskje litt for mye). Neste morgen, f\u00f8r hun drar, sp\u00f8r hun det velkjente og litt flaue sp\u00f8rsm\u00e5let mange i slike situasjoner stiller: \u201cEh, gjorde vi det?\u201d Han svarer at de ikke hadde v\u00e6rt fysisk intime, men idet hun g\u00e5r, h\u00f8rer vi ham si lavt til seg selv: \u201coh yes we did.\u201d For de som forst\u00e5r, betyr dette: vi var kanskje ikke fysisk intime, men vi var noe mer. Vi var \u201cgezellig.\u201d Noe som kanskje overg\u00e5r fysisk intimitet \u2013 noe vi ikke har ord for p\u00e5 engelsk. Kanskje vi ikke kan det, i en amerikansk kultur som ofte er konkurransepreget, transaksjonell og kald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGezellig\u201d tilsvarer omtrent det jeg ofte har nevnt i disse bloggene: det danske og norske \u201chygge.\u201d En varm og vennlig atmosf\u00e6re som er sentral i b\u00e5de n\u00e6ringsliv og sosiale relasjoner i Skandinavia. Jeg gleder meg til \u00e5 dele dette med amerikanske ledere under et norsk retreat i sommer. Jeg tror Ted Lasso ville f\u00f8lt seg hjemme der. Selv om han er amerikansk, dyrker han en inkluderende og egalit\u00e6r atmosf\u00e6re i garderoben \u2013 og utenfor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg satte ogs\u00e5 pris p\u00e5 historien om Teds angst og hans arbeid med en psykolog. Det er sjelden \u00e5 se en mainstream-serie ta opp psykisk helse p\u00e5 en s\u00e5 sunn m\u00e5te. Ted blir overveldet av angst, inkludert et panikkanfall midt i en kamp som f\u00e5r ham til \u00e5 forlate stadion. F\u00f8rst skylder han p\u00e5 matforgiftning, men senere blir han s\u00e5rbar, innr\u00f8mmer anfallet og snakker \u00e5pent om psykisk helse i idretten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Som en som selv har opplevd panikkanfall, er jeg takknemlig for at serien representerer dette sv\u00e6rt reelle problemet og bidrar til \u00e5 redusere stigmaet. Igjen: lederskap handler om \u00e5 g\u00e5 inn i utrygge rom (eller temaer) og gj\u00f8re dem trygge for oss andre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Til tross for panikkanfallene viser Ted mot og besluttsomhet der det gjelder mest. Han st\u00e5r opp for det som er rett \u2013 gang p\u00e5 gang. Et herlig \u00f8yeblikk er n\u00e5r han sl\u00e5r Rebeccas arrogante eksmann Rupert i dart. Seieren handler ikke om Teds ego, men om \u00e5 st\u00f8tte Rebecca. Ruperts tap betyr at han ikke f\u00e5r sitte ved siden av ekskona i eierboksen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted representerer den typen lederskap vi trenger i dag. Det holder ikke lenger \u00e5 v\u00e6re en br\u00f8lende sjef som gir ordre uten \u00e5 forst\u00e5 hvordan folk faktisk har det. Dagens forretningsverden krever ydmykhet og deltakende beslutninger for \u00e5 m\u00f8te raske endringer. En verden hvor ledere m\u00e5 vise sitt sanne jeg \u2013 ikke et polert budskap testet i fokusgrupper. Dessuten kreves det n\u00e5 at de med st\u00f8rst ansvar ogs\u00e5 tar vare p\u00e5 helheten i menneskene de leder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted er ogs\u00e5 s\u00e5 langt unna den typen maskulinitet og lederskap vi ser vokse frem mange steder. \u201cLasso-ledelse,\u201d om du vil, tvinger ikke folk til \u00e5 b\u00f8ye seg. Den mobber ikke, skremmer ikke og lar seg ikke skremme. I stedet transcenderer den frykt. Den verdsetter menneskelighet, s\u00e5rbarhet og ufullkommenhet som styrker i et mangfoldig fellesskap. Den er ikke \u201cvinneren tar alt\u201d \u2013 men \u201calle kan vinne.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e5tte v\u00e5re ledere i Washington \u2013 og andre maktsentra \u2013 l\u00e6re av Ted Lasso. M\u00e5tte vi alle gj\u00f8re det.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Som jeg sa: sesong fire av Ted Lasso<\/em> kan ikke komme fort nok.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world needs authentic vulnerability and leaders who build kinder (gezellig) places. Continue reading Ted Lasso, Take Us To Better Places<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238892274,"featured_media":389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[329724783,16750853,384,7885,651686,779408051,769224191],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-betterplaces","tag-bettertogether","tag-entertainment","tag-leadership","tag-teal","tag-tealleader","tag-tealorg"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/betterplaces.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ted-lasso-gezellig.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf3Jag-6d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/238892274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":477,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions\/477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}