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Leadership Lessons from "All or Nothing"


Having devoured Ted Lasso, I was invited to watch this along-side my Arsenal- 'waking up at ungodly hours in the morning to watch big games on the other side of the world EPL loving' - husband. So, he had skin in the game. I did not (other than allowing me to reminisce over some well spent weekends back in London!).

Why is All or Nothing worth watching? If you believe in leader as coach and in high performance teams, then this is an insider’s view in pulling back the curtain on leadership, operating systems and the culture that a high performing football team considers when setting about creating their season to perform.  

Sure, you need to set aside the millions of dollars that are being thrown around here. The cash is ridiculous. But it also raises a number of issues that the club need to handle with the players about defining success, identity, purpose and why they play. It's an interesting biopic into how each of them handle it (or not).

What strikes me the most from a leadership perspective? 

  • The amount of time spent talking about emotions (use of words like 'love' and 'heart'.. plenty of swearing too... but lots of heart!). Mikel Arteta (Coach) embraces his vulnerability as leader to coach, guide and push the players - wanting the best for them so they reach their potential, but also caring for them.
  • The amount of time spent in rest & recovery. So little of a week is spent actually on the 'performance'. The majority of the time in 'practice' and rest/recovery. What does this look like in your leadership team?
  • 'Fresh legs' always available off the bench when needed - the team knows they can depend on their team mates then they need help – strong sense of “I’ve got your back”.

Have you seen it? What were your thoughts? 

The views expressed in this article are the views of the author. This article provides general information, does not constitute advice and should not be relied upon as such. Professional advice should be sought prior to any action being taken in reliance on any of the information.