How To Have Your Team’s Back — Leadership Lessons from “Ted Lasso”
How To Have Your Team’s Back — Leadership Lessons from “Ted Lasso”
One of the quickest ways to lose the trust of a team is to abandon their values and refuse to back them in tough situations. It seems like…
One of the quickest ways to lose the trust of a team is to abandon their values and refuse to back them in tough situations. It seems like common sense, but let’s look at how to go about supporting your team even when things go south. We’ll do so again through the lens of “Ted Lasso.”
Context: In Season 2 Episode 3 of Ted Lasso, Sam Obisanya is a part of an ad campaign for Dubai Air. He later learns from his father that Dubai Air is owned by parent company Cerithium Oil that is ravaging their lands in Nigeria and participating in some highly unethical practices.
Sam learns about these travesties and approaches Rebecca (owner of AFC Richmond) to inform her he’d like to withdraw from the ads. Rebecca says “of course you don’t have to do it Sam, I’ll take care of it.” As Sam leaves, Higgins notes that the decision could ruffle some feathers and Dubai Air should be consulted. Rebecca reiterates, “I’ll handle it. The CEO is an old friend of [former husband] Rupert’s, perhaps he’ll still find me charming.”
We’ve previously discussed “leaving room to say things suck” and having your team’s back is generally the next step.
Listen
It’s amazing how easy this step is to forget when your team responds to a situation.
As their leader, you want to act and make things right, but sometimes your team just wants you to hear them or give them a platform to be heard.
If you pause a moment to give them this time and actively listen, the remainder of the steps becomes much easier.
Rebecca listens to Sam and without asking many more questions, says she’ll handle it. She then spends the rest of the episode navigating Sam’s desire to pull out of the campaign.
While she did listen, Rebecca skipped a few steps before blindly committing to handling the request. She may know some of the situation, but she could have unpacked it further.
Know the situation
Context is king and without it, there could be a conflict of perception. Some questions to ask yourself:
Does your team understand the situation from the company’s perspective?
Does your boss understand the team’s perspective?
Any re-framing you need to do to help hit the reset button?
Do you agree with the situation on either side?
Is the decision in direct conflict of company values or individual morals?
Without knowing the situation and the reason for making a stand, everything else becomes harder. Spend some time up front doing your homework and playing through likely scenarios that you will encounter.
Rebecca didn’t spend much time on scenarios or repercussions, assuming instead that from her friendship with Richard, the CEO of Dubai Air, she could get the ads to easily go away. While planning likely outcomes, Rebecca should also see what other possibilities could be in play.
Determine if there are any concessions
Is there a win-win for both sides? Is there a middle ground that makes everyone happy? What possible solutions are there for moving forward?
For Rebecca and AFC Richmond, the answer is no. Richard makes it clear he’s unhappy and tells Rebecca to get rid of Sam, problem solved. On one hand, the ads go away, but on the other, AFC Richmond would lose a primary leader on the team, and be aware that leadership does, in fact, not have their back.
What would you do in this situation if you were Rebecca?
Once you determine if there are possible concessions, it’s time to decide how much you yourself are willing to put on the line.
Ask yourself if this is a hill you want to die on
This is rare, but you may be presented with a situation where your boss and your team are fundamentally opposed. If you have worked the situation and know it’s still a deadlock, ask yourself if you’d be willing to die on this hill. Is this decision worth your job?
Prepare to fight
Respectfully of course.
Part of management is being able to take a step back from situations and think through them, separated from emotions. Up until this step, conversations have been internal or within your team. Now is the time to move the problem up (or laterally in a flat org).
In our Ted Lasso example, Rebecca shrugs the problem off after a firm email stating she will not release Sam. Later, she gets a call from Richard when the team is protesting Dubai Air on the pitch, using black tape to cover the logo and she sends it to voicemail.
So far there have been no repercussions for her, but her nonchalance is reckless when it comes to setting herself and her team up well in this disagreement.
It’s imperative to work the problem rationally and take the issues to your boss. Talk through the situation, how your team sees things, and the perceived intention of the company. Ask a lot of questions and be prepared to defend the stance your team took.
Being a leader is not about blindly solving problems. Leadership is about tackling the hard conversations with peers or superiors to ensure your team keeps their psychological safety intact.
For Rebecca, we have yet to see the outcome of the situation, but it is expected that Dubai Air’s CEO is less than thrilled that a team he sponsors is being insubordinate and their leader (Rebecca) is unresponsive. Higgins continues to warn that the problem may become larger, but whether it’s posturing in front of her goddaughter, or an underestimation of how large the problem is, Rebecca continues to maneuver around the problem.
Her intentions are good, but the execution is less than optimal.
Be ready to lose
In the end, it’s possible that you are overruled by your boss or a higher-up. Unfortunately, not all of us are in a position to not answer a phone call from a boss voicing their displeasure.
In cases where you lose the fight, don’t skulk and walk away with your tail between your legs. Learn as much as you can about the decision and the steps or thought process it took to get there. Even if you disagree, the alignment will be beneficial and you can give your team the full story.
Now is not the time to throw your boss under the bus and create further chaos. It’s a time to stand together, relay the final answer, and discuss as a group.
Review the Result with Your Team
I’m big on transparency. Win or lose, transparency helps your team understand the state of the world around them. Again, this is not the time to take cheap shots at anyone involved in the process.
It’s a time to relay along any future changes or challenges that may arise from the discussions.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve gone through the above, there’s likely been some resolution or progress as you continue to problem solve. If you’ve not experienced the above, you likely are exhausted from what seems like a long process with little to show for it. Not all situations are as drawn-out, but keep this framework in mind the next time a problem arises on your team that involves a company decision or a decision from higher up.
What are some ways you would handle Rebecca’s situation differently?
What would you expect Richard to do moving forward?
Do you agree with Rebecca’s decision to allow Sam to pull out of the campaign?
Toss your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to hit the Follow button to see more Leadership Lessons from “Ted Lasso.”