What Would Ted Do? Use Ted Lasso to Break Lifelong Thinking Habits
Dec 17, 2025I’ve written about Ted Lasso before, but a conversation I had yesterday felt worth sharing.
I was speaking with someone who wants to break some lifelong habits of behaviour.
They mentioned they’d enjoyed the series, so I suggested if they get time over Christmas, they should watch it again, not simply for entertainment, but for comparison.
The real value isn’t in the storyline itself but in noticing your own reactions to it.
As you watch, a useful gap appears, offering profound insight:
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How a character reacts versus how you would react
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How they behave versus how you expect yourself to behave
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The outcomes they create versus the outcomes you’d likely produce
That gap creates a moment of self-awareness and insight.
For me, Nate’s betrayal of Ted triggered a strong emotional response. I know I wouldn’t have behaved the way Ted did. I’d have been far more reactive and almost certainly would have closed the door Ted deliberately left open.
The Problem of Outcome Over Input
Many of us are under constant pressure to focus solely on outcomes. Results are what get measured, rewarded, and scrutinised. Very little attention is paid to the quality of the inputs that create them.
Ted turns that logic on its head.
Precisely because he lacks technical expertise in football, he focuses almost entirely on relationships. He invests in trust, safety, and connection, believing that this is what ultimately produces sustainable, positive outcomes.
That’s what makes the comparison so useful.
The Interrupting Question
After watching the series, I noticed myself asking a powerful question in difficult moments: “What would Ted do here?”
That question interrupts habit.
It creates distance from emotionally learned patterns of thinking and opens a space for a fresh perspective, without justifying a response simply because it feels familiar or comfortable.
If more leaders and individuals asked that question, I suspect many would realise the answer is profoundly different from what they were about to do.
Sometimes, breaking old thinking habits doesn’t require learning something complex or entirely new. It just takes a better question and the willingness to pause.
Ready to Practice the Pause?
Understanding what Ted would do is only the first step. Developing the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to consistently choose that better behaviour requires dedicated practice.
If you’re ready to master the inputs and turn your insights into sustainable results, explore our flagship programme: Elephant in the Room
Click here to learn how EdgeEQ can help you bridge the gap between knowing better and doing better, starting today!
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