Nonprofit Team Management the Ted Lasso Way

“Ted Lasso” fans, don’t expect any folksy down-home “Bantr” in this article, because folksy isn’t really my style. You may get a few truth bombs though, because I do have great admiration for personal and team growth, mutual support, accountability and doing the right thing even when it is difficult.

When I look at nonprofit professionals through Ted Lasso’s aviator lenses, I see examples of human greatness, potential and opportunities for growth. Just like team Richmond, most nonprofits are comprised of a vast mix of people, many of us fantastically flawed — those who are supportive of others yet unsure of themselves, a few that are brilliant but unapproachable, some who are forgiving and some who hold grudges, a few straight shooters and those who ride the passive aggressive tour bus to any destination available.

Given the important mission work nonprofits are tapped to accomplish with teams comprised of personalities that cover all of the letters and colors of the Myers Briggs spectrum, let’s take a look at a few Lasso lessons we can apply to help those teams along the way.

1. Be Curious

Let’s start by looking at boards of directors like club executives. Boards that are generally composed of professionals from for-profit industries govern nonprofits, so their knowledge of nonprofit operations can be somewhat limited. During their leadership terms, they may feel as awkward as an American football coach learning how to coach soccer in England.

Board members should be curious and learn about the nuances of the organizations they serve. If boards are responsible for the fiscal health of organizations and for making sound business decisions on their behalf, doesn’t it make sense for them to learn not only about the missions, but also about what makes the organizations internally unique?

Many organizations have “mission moments” during board meetings as a way for trustees to be connected to the mission. What about having “staff moments”? Not so that staff can justify their positions and how much work they do, but so that board members can learn about the background, heart and expertise that hold up the organization, building mutual trust and possibly even admiration. The results might be as fantastic as hitting two triple twenties and a bull's-eye on the dart board at just the right time.

2. Be Supportive

Now let’s move on to nonprofit staff and volunteers. Interpersonal communications are always tricky. Different personalities, communication styles, personal agendas and varying levels of empathy (or lack thereof) can make any organization a breeding ground for dysfunction.

Nate the Great is the perfect example of such dysfunction. We watch his outsized insecurities wear him down from excited and invested into a jaded and cruel person who makes himself feel more important by belittling others. While his meteoric decline in humanity makes for a great show, it was a situation that potentially could have been avoided if he had a leader/mentor who was willing to ask questions, address issues and not avoid the hard conversations that may have been necessary to help Nate before the decline trajectory was too steep.

Ted is phenomenal at letting people shine and giving them credit for their work, but inconsistent when it comes to seeking out the roots of issues and dealing with them head on. Does that make him a horrible leader? No. It makes him human with a lot of areas ripe for continual self-improvement. Dare I say like most of us?

3. Focus on the Whole Team

Enter Zava and his avocados. Richmond had finally achieved a well-run team that worked together and was making its way back to strength. Then Zava was recruited and all the other players were told to stand back and play supporting roles. All of the focus is on a larger-than-life personality (or in the nonprofit world, maybe a founder or a movement leader), sometimes to the detriment of everyone else. Later, when the team was not doing well and the love affair with Zava was ending, the coaches chastised the team for not being great on their own without Zava.

Talk about mixed messages. In nonprofits too, the focus should be the organization and the team (and the clients, and community), not just on one or two people at the top. As Ted would say, “It’s not about me. It never was.” If the focus is completely on one dynamic person and then something happens or they leave, the rest of the staff is left to pick up the pieces and to try to repair relationships with clients, volunteers, donors and the community.  

4. The Best Leaders Aren’t Threatened

The show’s executive lessons would also tell leaders to build up their staff by being both publicly and privately supportive. Executive directors and CEOs should work to let go of their own fear and egos enough to recognize and champion their staff. As Ted says, the best leaders and mentors help people find and bring out the best version of themselves. They aren’t worried about being outshined because their staff are good at their jobs.

Many of us have encountered Nates and Ruperts in the nonprofit world. And too often, the rest of the staff and volunteers feel demoralized, unmotivated and anxious, always waiting to be told they’re doing something wrong. Great leaders know that it is impossible to be an expert in everything; they know it makes more sense to create a team where everyone’s abilities complement each other, and everyone is valued for their contributions.

It may be Ted’s peppy analogies and words of home-grown wisdom that informed these “Ted Lasso” lessons, but to be a great team, we should learn from the others too. I for one think it is important to try to be supportive like Keeley, evolve like Roy, inspire like Sam, examine our own motivations like Rebecca, think outside the box (maybe without ayahuasca) like Beard — and above all else, be curious, not judgmental.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.