The ‘Ted Lasso’ Effect: Belief as the Culture Builder

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

Chandra stepped in as Director of Product at a health-tech company in transition.

The team she inherited had talent, but low morale.

A big launch had fallen flat. Work felt reactive. Wins were rare, and even those went uncelebrated.

The previous leader had been sharp but skeptical. Recognition was transactional. Trust had to be earned, and even then, it rarely lasted.

Chandra knew the team didn’t need another strategy memo.

They needed belief.

She started small. A handwritten note on a tough day. A shoutout for progress, not just outcomes. A Slack emoji party when someone spoke up in a meeting who usually didn’t.

These moments were easy to dismiss. But over time, they worked.

The team began to re-engage. People took more risks. Collaboration increased. Metrics ticked upward.

Her approach wasn’t based on a management textbook. It came from a very human source: Ted Lasso.

She wasn’t trying to turn the workplace into a feel-good sitcom. But she believed, as Lasso did, when you genuinely trust people and lead with optimism, they start to believe in themselves too.

And belief? It travels.

Within six months, the product roadmap stabilized. Cross-functional collaboration improved. And in the annual engagement survey, Chandra’s team posted the biggest gains in the company.

All because she chose to lead with belief, not fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Framework

Culture = Consistent Belief in Action

Strong cultures don’t come from slogans or slide decks.
They grow when values are visible—reinforced through behavior, tools, and everyday leadership moments.

Here's the culture-building sequence:

1. Define the values. Clarity is step one. What do you stand for?

2. Map values to behaviors. What does respect, curiosity, or ownership look like in action?

3. Give people the tools. Coaching, team norms, recognition systems—they help translate values into habits.

4. Reinforce regularly. Celebrate progress and spotlight the behavior you want more of.

Because belief spreads when people see what “good” looks like—and feel equipped to rise to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Question

Culture-building starts with clarity, but it lives or dies in the follow-through.  👉 What’s one value your team says it holds, but hasn’t been consistently modeled or reinforced?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More to Think About:

• Company values don’t shape culture unless leaders bring them to life.

• People don’t just need to be told what matters—they need to see it in action.

• The most magnetic leaders believe first, act second, and inspire third.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

How do you translate company values into team behavior? Hit reply or bring it up at your next leadership meeting.  Hit reply and share what shifted once it was addressed.Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.