Leadership Lessons: Ted Lasso — Examining New Manager Nate

Season 2 of Ted Lasso started last week and there were two minor interactions that stuck out to me in the premiere. Both centered around Nathan Shelley, newly minted Assistant Coach.

Photo from Bollywood Trendy

Nate the Great and the Case of the Misguided Power

These scenes were a bit more subtle as they weren’t the main story arc, but they’re interesting to examine. Nate (previously the equipment manager) was promoted late in Season 1 into an assistant coaching role. Partway through the next league season, Nate has had a chance to begin wielding some of his power, and this episode, “Goodbye Earl,” gives a glimpse into his management style.

Case One: Direct Interaction With a Subordinate

INT. COACH’S OFFICE

Nate stands close to the door and is in a discussion with Lasso and Beard. Equipment Manager Will interrupts the conversation.

Will: Sorry to interrupt, can I leave a little early today?

Nate: But part of your job is to stay until the whole team’s gone.

Will: No, yes, of course. It’s just it’s my mum’s 50th birthday.

Nate: Oh. Oh. And what position does your mum play on the team again?

Will’s mouth hangs open, unsure of how to answer the question.

Ted: It’s okay, Will. Tell your mom a happy birthday from all of us, and if she ever wants to try out for the team, she’s more than welcome.

Will: Lovely.

Coach Beard glares at Nate, Nate scornfully watches Will as he walks away. Ted looks at Nate expectantly, waiting for him to explain.

Nate: You gotta stay on ’em.

(Ted nods)

Nate: Pressure makes pearls, right? Wait, it’s diamonds. Sh*t! I messed it up.

The rest of the interaction goes unnoticed, but it’s the first look at how Nate handles those that he’s directly responsible for. While Ted covers for the unanswerable dig at Will, there’s no visible correction of the behavior or deeper dive into the interaction. Now, it’s possible things transpired in the background, but an upcoming scene keeps me wondering. Before we take a look, some questions to think about as Nate’s manager:

1. Is Nate’s behavior acceptable?
2. How would you address the above interaction?
3. What could have been done beforehand to prevent the result?
4. What corrections would you make?
5. Should Nate follow up with Will? What should his conversation there look like?

Ted and Nate via Digital Spy

Alright, now that you’ve thought about those questions, let’s take a look at the second situation from the first episode. Dani Rojas has a case of “the Yips” and the coaching cohort is discussing ways to get him out of his funk.

INT. COACH’S OFFICE

Ted: Any ideas?

Nate: If Dani needs motivation, we could always just show him his godd*mn paycheck.

(Ted looks horrified as do Coach Beard and Higgins - Nate visually sticks with his comment)

Ted: I mean, that’s a tad aggressive, you know. But hey, I shouldn’t bring an umbrella to a brainstorm, so I appreciate you getting the ball rolling Nate.

Nate: Yeah.

The discussion continues and Nate looks slightly pleased with himself.

In this interaction, Ted notes the aggressiveness of the comment from Nate, but thanks him for the contribution, an open-faced compliment sandwich. Ted’s comment is a slight course correction which is a better on-screen interaction than the prior event but leads me to wonder if any additional follow-up is happening. Questions:

1. What would your follow-up conversation with Nate look like?
2. What should Ted work on with Nate behind the scenes to hone these interactions in the future?

Coach Beard, Ted Lasso, and Nate via NYT

Assessment of Behavior

1. Nate is new to management and is still finding his footing. As many new managers have experienced in their past, there’s a certain amount of finding your style that happens at the beginning of your journey. With the right mentorship and coaching (from Ted in this case), it’s possible that Nate can go on to become a solid leader in the organization. If left to his own devices, and with no boundaries or correction, this season of Ted Lasso could see Nate turn into a power-hungry dictatorial presence in the locker room, leading to increasingly volatile interactions with the coaching staff, even potentially team ownership. Ted should reset expectations with Nate and walk through these interactions to explain how he would have handled them. Nate doesn’t need to be a direct copy of Ted (please, because the optimism can sometimes be grating), but it will help Nate understand what Ted expects. The more direct conversation and direct correction Ted has with Nate, the better everyone around him will become.
2. Something in Nate’s background is likely shaping his style. It’s possible it’s his background, where he was belittled, mocked, and picked on by members of the team while performing his equipment management duties, and he’s taking it out on whoever gets in his path. It’s also possible it’s naivete in the role and he’s still finding his footing. I’m hoping it’s the latter, but it’s a good glimpse into interacting with less experienced managers and their styles. It’s possible that the show will never revisit Nate and his management style, but you have to imagine the writers wouldn’t have added these scenes and comments if not to show how comfortable Nate is becoming with being cruel.
3. Correction without explanation is less meaningful. The first interaction, where Ted hops in to let Will head out early is acceptable on its face, but if Ted doesn’t follow up on why he overrode Nate’s indirect “no,” Nate may never understand why it happened or that he was out of line. Sure, Ted gives him looks and if their relationship is far enough along that a specific glance can communicate the thought, then it’s all good, but better to follow up than assume.

Final Thoughts

Managing managers can be difficult, but with direct feedback and trust, they can become multipliers. As noted, it’s not about creating more copies of yourself, it’s about helping shape the style that best suits the individual. Nate is nowhere near as peppy as Ted, nor should he be, but once he finds his style, he’ll be able to present it in a consistent manner and everyone (including Will) will understand what he expects from them. Can Ted Lasso mold young Nate into a great manager and leader? Unknown, time will tell in Season 2.

Note: It’s possible you’re wondering why I’m focusing this heavily on a TV show’s management dynamics. Truth is, there aren’t a lot of books or resources on improvisational management, so I find myself analyzing movies and TV shows and asking myself “how would I react if that were me.” Hopefully the above is helpful for you, but let me know your thoughts in the comments below or if you’d like me to analyze any other on-screen styles.