Lasso Lessons: Ted on Life, Leadership & Learning

Dr Sharon is on her way out, Sam may depart as well, Nate continues to stew, "Vanity Fair" is featuring Keeley as a business leader, and Trent reveals Ted's big secret. Cathy and Mike return to break down S2E11 of “Ted Lasso”, “Last Train to Royston” with an eye towards lessons in adult development and leadership. Join them as they check out the Nigerian art and life lessons from the forest, and discuss the pitfalls of the underappreciated high performers as well as who wants to be the boss and who doesn't.

How do you solve a problem like Zava?  Join Cathy & Mike as they discuss lessons of leadership and adult development from S3E3 of “Ted Lasso”, “4-5-1”.   A brief history of literary prognostications.  MacGuffins. Jesus Christ, Eurostar.  Job shadowing and the necessity of supervision. The myths(?) of the 10x coder and the 80/20 rule.    Watch: Prisencolinensinainciusol Everybody Knows

Fresh starts abound:  Trent writes a book, Keely hires a friend, and Rebecca pursues a Euro-star.  Join Cathy and Mike as they discuss S3E2 of Ted Lasso “(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea” with an eye towards lessons in leadership and adult development.

Newly promoted to the Premier League, Richmond AFC is picked to finish last by the press–while Rupert's West Ham is picked to end up near the top!  Rebecca worries that Ted isn't worried enough, but Keely advises to “let Ted be Ted”.  Ted, though, seems more concerned about while he's still in London, far from his son.    Join Cathy & Mike as they discuss “Ted Lasso” with an eye toward lessons in leadership and adult development.  Keely and Nate learn to adapt to new roles, and new workplaces.  How to harness the power of metaphor and “systems thinking”.  Finally, can you navigate the changing emotional landscape of the contemporary office?   Mentioned in the Pod: The Miracle of Castel di Sangro The Ghost Map The Fifth Discipline

After the death of Rebecca's father, self-awareness burgeons.  Join Cathy and Mike as they discuss leadership lessons and adult development in "Ted Lasso".  The whole team dons dress shoes, and Nate worries about his suit. Rebecca and Ted share their fathers' betrayals, and we discuss how they respond to trauma. Roy can't stop joking about Keely's ruminations on death.  Jami and Roy both pledge their love to Keely.  This episode is packed with musical references:  Molly and Nick Drake;  Elvis Costello & Nick Lowe; and yes, Rick Astley.  Come make meaning with us!

After the big loss, Beard battles his personal demons while exploring a different side of Richmond.   Join Cathy & Mike as they explore lessons in leadership and adult development in Ted Lasso. The original After Hours as part of a larger subgenre.  Scorsese meets Joe Frank.  A Blue Moon hangs over Wembley.  The haunting of Gary Lineker and Thierry Henri.  The downside of Cognitive Reframing.  The British class system meets billiards and Imposter Syndrome results.  Is Beard finding his religion, and is Dance his god?  And what do you do when you or a co-worker find your personal troubles encroaching on your work space?

With the big game looming, Dr. Sharon crashes, Jami knocks down a bully, Rebecca and Sam finally get together, and Ted makes a stunning (and yet maybe expected) revelation.  Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S2E8 of Ted Lasso, “Man City”.   Brené Brown shows up again.  Different modes of coaching: Supervision, Management, & Leadership.  Admitting mistakes at work:  What does the Trust Equation tell us about the impact?

Keely needs space, Nate mocks Colin, and Ted isn't quite ready to engage in therapy.  Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S2E7 of Ted Lasso:  “Headspace” with an eye towards lessons in leadership and learning.  We once again discuss how to have Difficult Conversations and Cathy provides an approach to deal with Immunity to Change:  What to do when you need to make an important change but something is holding you back.     Mentioned in the Show: Lisa Lahey on Brene Brown's podcast Part 1 and Part 2. “If music be the food of love” on BBC

Everyone is stuck in a bad pattern; how can they escape?  Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S2E6 of "Ted Lasso, The Signal”, with an eye towards lessons in leadership and adult learning.  Esther Perel finally shows up, and Brene Brown reappears.  Ever more fathers and sons.  Birth of a “Wonder Kid”.  Difficult Conversations and curious questions. How do you deal with stress: Fight, flight, or freeze?  

Nate seeks status, Roy strives to discover where he belongs, and Rebecca seeks love. Join Cathy and Mike as they break down “Ted Lasso” S2E5, “Rainbow” with an eye towards lessons in leadership.    It's Rom-Communism at its best at Richmond AFC when Ted provides the light in the Dark Forest.  Cognitive Reframing, redux.  The Hero's Journey–and branding!?!   Power poses and calm clarity in the-winner-takes-all society.  And Cathy explains her complex feelings regarding role plays.   “Swinging on a Rainbow” by Frankie Avalon “She's a Rainbow” by the Rolling Stones

It's Christmas time in Richmond.  The Higginses throw a party,  Roy & Keely go in search of a cure to a noisome problem, and Ted and Rebecca bear gifts. Join Cathy and Mike as they break down “Ted Lasso” S1E4, “Carol of Bells” with an eye towards lessons in leadership.  The “Trust Equation” returns, morale runs high, and how is and isn't a workplace like a family?   Other podcasts mentioned: Coach Ron Adams on Coaching Superstars on the Knowing Kenning podcast “Julia” with Betsy West and Julie Cohen on the Top Docs podcast

Rebecca's young protege maybe teaches her a thing or two.  How will Sam deal with Dubai Air?  And can Jamie find a way back?  Cathy and Mike break down S2E2 of Ted Lasso, “Do the Rightest Thing,” with an eye towards lessons in leadership.   John Wooden warrants yet another cameo.  Is Rebecca a reverse anger translator?  Gen X vs Gen Y on bringing your values to work.  And what to make of “Led Tasso”.

Join Cathy and Mike as they look at Season 2, Episode 2: “Lavender”.  Even by “Ted Lasso” standards, this episode is jam-packed with storytelling.  Jamie wants to return to the team, Roy considers career alternatives, Nate grows into his role, and Dr. Sharon rebuffs Ted's attempts to get to know her better.  Fathers and sons abound: Hamlet, Prince Hal, & The Prince of Tides.  And is Ted evolving his decision-making process?   Referenced in the pod: Anarchy in the UK Tear it Up Bad to the Bone

And we are back!  With Season 3 scheduled for later this summer, we thought we should catch up on Season 2.  So here's our take on S2E1:  “Goodbye Earl”.  After the death of a beloved mascot, Danny now believes that “Football is Death”.   Nate isn't the best new manager, Roy struggles with life off the pitch, Rebecca wonders about her new boyfriend, and Ted can't quite handle the sports psychologist that they have brought in to help Danny.  Cathy and Mike discuss the challenges of cross-cultural communication; starting out as a new manager; coaching vs. therapy; and the importance of vulnerability in your personal life–and even at work.   Discussed in this pod: Brene Brown's Ted talks and her book Dare to Lead Radiohead's Karma Police Aime Mann's Wise Up Squeeze's  Goodbye Girl

In this special edition of Lasso Lessons, join Mike as he explores the traits on the second tier of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success in light of Nate's rant: Self-control, Alertness, Initiative, Intentness.  Just in time for the NBA playoffs!   Mentioned in the Pod: S1E3: “Trent Crimm, The Independent” S1E7:  “Make Rebecca Great Again”

We've come to the end of the first season, and so much has changed.  Join Cathy and Mike for their breakdown of S1E10 of "Ted Lasso:  The Hope that Kills You." British pessimism, and Ted's optimism.  Trick plays or elaborate set pieces?  A brief history of white boards.  Richmond, London & Lake Placid, New York.  A spit take too far?  Freud finally makes the pod, and Cathy finally gets a chance to discuss polarity theory.  The poetry of Donald Rumsfeld, and why 4-square matrices belong on PowerPoint slides.  The dangers of the extremes.  Cognitive reframing returns, and Blue Ocean Strategy emerges.  Join us in the new year for season two of Lasso Lessons, and you'll never walk alone. Books mentioned on the pod: Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

Join Cathy and Mike as they break down Ted Lasso S1E9, “All Apologies.”  On first hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit.  Fenway Park (Boston) vs. Camp Nou (Barcelona).  The later career of Thierry Henry. Is Keely telepathic? Boom Chicago and the origins of Ted Lasso.  More Rupert vs. Ted.  Turns out Rebecca is actually good at apologies!  Difficult conversations.  And Cognitive Reframing returns.   Books Mentioned: Why Won't You Apologize:  Healing, Big Betrayals, and Everyday Hurts Difficult Conversations:  How to Discuss What Matters Most   Bonus:  Weird Al's Smells Like Nirvana

It's the day after, everyone must deal with the consequences, and Ted and Rupert engage in a pointed contest. Join Cathy and Mike as they discuss S1E8 of Ted Lasso. Birth of The Diamond Dogs.  Shakespeare vs Walt Whitman.  Emotional Intelligence spawns EQ.  How cognitive reframing can help with emotional hijacking. Does lack of curiosity kill the cad?  And Ted's origin story.   In Memoriam:  Aaron Beck on Cognitive Restructuring. Bonus:   47 Milk Puns Snopes on “Be curious, not judgemental”

The team heads to Liverpool, an impossible match is won, and strangers collide.  Join Cathy and Mike as they discuss S1E7 of “Ted Lasso: Make Rebecca Great Again”. “Hotel California”, Glasgow, Scotland. The leisurely pace of  “The Rockford Files”.  Brett's sports jacket.   Ted's hair as emotional barometer.  Transformational storytelling.  The dangers of catastrophizing and Nate's turn as insult comic.  Finally, towards a new “old” Rebecca? In memoriam:  Neil Stroul.   Also in the pod: Celeste's “Strange”.

Danny Rojas shows up, words lose their meaning, and a curse befalls the team.  Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S1E6 of “Ted Lasso: Two Aces”.  Semantic satiation.  Ted's anger as motivation.  The “No Schadenfreude Zone”.   Negative reinforcement and Pavlov's Tartt.  And healthy competition meets David Mamet.     Also in the Episode: Ted's “Practice” speech and Allen Iverson The “Dutch angle” Evil Spock and Bizarro Superman Peaky Blinders Seinfeld lingo

Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S1E5 of Ted Lasso, “Tan Lines”.  Ted's work/life balance.  Transparency and curiosity in communications.  Immunity to change.  And the no “jerks” rule.   Also in the pod: Robert Keegan's Immunity to Change Robert Sutton's The No [Jerk] Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn't Bonus:  What the British Say and What They Really Mean

Join Cathy and Mike for our breakdown of S1E4 of Ted Lasso, “For the Children”.  This episode of Ted Lasso is jam-packed with advice.  Find out who in FC Richmond's extended family follows Netflix's 4 A's of Feedback--and who most definitely doesn't.  Also: Buffy and the 2 Ruperts. The power of “holding environments” and perspective-taking.  Finally, are you Team Lasso or Team Seinfeld?   Also on the pod: No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hasting and Erin Meyer Ronald Heifetz, Leadership without Easy Answers Stuff Mr. Giles Says (caution: period background music) No hugging, no learning

Join Cathy and Mike as we break down S1E3 of Ted Lasso, “Trent Crimm, the Independent”.  What does Lincoln's assassination have to do with Ted Lasso?  Cathy in London.  Why does Ted give the books he does?  The influence of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success on Ted's coaching philosophy. And the importance of “leadership declarations”.   Also discussed in the pod: Our American Cousin The Beautiful and Damned Ender's Game A Wrinkle in Time Bonus:  Overanalyzing every book in Ted Lasso 

Join Cathy and Mike as they break down S1E2 of Ted Lasso, “Biscuits”.  Cathy and Mike play a little “First concert/Best concert”, and uncover the origin of Mike's Ben & Jerry's addiction.  They introduce a new pyramid:  Maslow's “Hierarchy of Needs”.  Then they try some chin chin and reveal how Sam's snack relates to “Biscuits with the Boss”.  What's up with “What up With That?”  And how you can use the “Trust Equation” when taking on a new leadership role.   Also mentioned: Richmond Chekhov's gun and Knives Out The original Ben & Jerry's scoop shop San Francisco sourdough bread Beatlemania vs The Ramones Beastie Boys vs The Spice Girls The Trusted Advisor The Rolling Stones Bonus:  A primer on British desserts

Cathy and Mike break down Ted Lasso S1E1: "Pilot".   Find out why Ted learns everyone's names, and maybe even over-praises Nate's sports drink.  While Coach Beard reads up on soccer tactics, Ted indulges in Kerouac: how is this an example of "Inclusive Leadership"? Ted vs. Rebecca in communications styles.  And learn how you too can flip the pyramid for organizational success! Also Mentioned: Inverting the Pyramid: the book & the organizational principle The Key to Inclusive Leadership Kerouac's The Dharma Bums Barry Jentz on challenges to sense-making