DEI Lessons from Ted Lasso’s Richmond Greyhounds

Ted Lasso proves that DEI wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places.

The recent season finale of the Apple TV streaming sensation, Ted Lasso, was met with praise. Full of cheer, optimism, and life lessons, it’s not yet clear if we’ll get another season of Coach Lasso and his beloved Richmond Greyhounds soccer team.

Even if this was the end, the writers delivered two particularly powerful episodes this season that teach us how we can all do better in the workplace when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In fact, the two episodes were so powerful that work teams should consider watching and discussing both storylines this month in recognition of Pride Month and Juneteenth. Let me elaborate.

Lessons from Episode 7

In Episode 7, Sam Obisanya, the Greyhound’s kind and thoughtful Black Nigerian soccer superstar, finds himself embroiled in racist attacks. After a top United Kingdom official turns away a boatload of Nigerian refugees, Sam posts a tweet asking her to appeal to her “better angels.” The tweet escalates, of course.

Shortly thereafter, Sam stops by the Nigerian restaurant he recently opened, only to find it defaced and in ruins. After his teammates learn what happened, they all show up — unbeknownst to Sam — to repair the damage. Sam’s coworkers, mostly white, proactively stand by him and take decisive, visible action to support him. And Sam didn’t have to ask.

Lessons from Episode 9

In Episode 9, Greyhound player Colin Hughes receives the cold shoulder from his team captain and longtime friend, Isaac McAdoo. Isaac accidentally learns that Colin is gay, and it’s not clear if Isaac is homophobic or angry because his friend left him in the dark.

At the next soccer match, Isaac gets into an altercation with a fan who hurls a homophobic slur as the team enters the locker room for halftime. Isaac is ejected from the must-win game. After the team learns what triggered Isaac, they encourage him to ignore it and wonder if Isaac is gay. But Isaac exclaims he won’t ignore it. “What if one of us were gay? We shouldn’t have to deal with this [expletive]!”

Colin then comes out to his teammates, and it becomes clear that Isaac was defending his friend.

What’s even more interesting is the team discussion of how to support Colin. Colin’s teammate, the very manly Jamie Tartt, affirms he doesn’t care that Colin is gay. But Coach Lasso interjects that the team should care.

He says to Colin in front of the team, “We care very much. We care about who you are and what you must have been going through. From now on, you don’t have to go through it all by yourself.”

You Don’t Need to be Ted Lasso to Achieve Real Inclusion and Belonging

What are the lessons from these episodes? Ted Lasso is at the helm of a team culture where there is real inclusion and real belonging. A workplace where coworkers proactively support one another, especially those from communities that are marginalized and discriminated against.

Lasso uses his position of power and privilege to create an army of allies who listen to one another, value differences, reject toxic masculinity, and proactively advocate and support one another.

Today, it’s everyone’s role to create a culture of inclusivity and belonging — both leaders and teammates. We all must be allies in the workplace for marginalized communities. So, in addition to watching these Ted Lasso episodes, I would encourage teams to have follow-up discussions on how to be an ally.

A recent Harvard Business Review article article serves as a framework for such discussions. Be A Better Ally is helpful in outlining actions every individual can take to be a better ally in the workplace.

Pride Month and Juneteenth are for everyone. Both are also about action. Rather than just recognizing Pride Month and Juneteenth, let’s act to create diverse, inclusive, and welcoming work environments. Where everyone belongs and has allies. And most of all, let’s cross our fingers for another season of Lasso.

About the Author

Jeff Perkins leads the Stanton Chase Washington, D.C. office as Managing Director with clients in aerospace, technology, digital, and media. He focuses primarily on C-suite and board searches.

Throughout his career, Jeff has held leadership positions in North America and Europe for major media, digital, and technology organizations — including SpaceX, NPR, News Corporation, Nielsen, and Time Warner — where he guided diverse teams in human resources, executive search and compensation, culture development, and organizational transformation.

Click here to learn more about Jeff.