Lessons from the Ted Lasso school of leadership

The strength and vision of a leader can be keystones for success in a healthcare practice. Demonstrating a very human side can also make an essential impact. 

While Paola Turchi, FACMPE, MSHCA, FHFMA, CPC, senior vice president of client success, Global Healthcare Resource, has mentored with some of the best and brightest in healthcare management, she’s more recently gleaned valuable leadership strategies from the popular Apple TV series “Ted Lasso” – starring Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach adapting to the world of British soccer. 

“If you take out all of the F-bombs you constantly hear in the show, it’s a nice and simple example of how to motivate a team and how to build relationships. It somewhat shows a servant leadership style in action,” Turchi said on an episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast. “As I was seeing all the episodes, it really highlighted to me the importance of truly believing in your mission and getting to know each person as an individual, the importance of consistently singing the same song so it become contagious and everyone else around you starts singing it.” 

Hear more from Turchi in this episode of the MGMA Leadership Insights podcast: 

Turchi said the show also demonstrates the importance of being vulnerable as a leader.  

“He’s anything but perfect,” she said. “Although we find it comforting when a leader has all the answers, I truly find it honorable when they recognize that they do not have them and that you are there to make a difference.” 

A Colombia native, Turchi’s humble journey to healthcare leadership began in the States as a receptionist at a practice that created artificial eyes. Since that point, she’s experienced success at every job that’s followed. She said she believes that flexibility remains one of the strongest personal assets available – especially in a leadership role – as the constant changes necessitated by the pandemic have required from the healthcare workforce and beyond.  

“Changing strategies does not mean failure,” Turchi said. “I don’t think there was a plan that didn’t have to be changed in the past 20 months or so, from vacations to business meetings.  And that has become the norm. Being able to be flexible and being able to do so timely is essential to overcoming any challenge.” 

Additional resources:

• The 8-Step Process for Leading Change
• Leadership Insights: It's a relationship business
• Building resilient leadership in healthcare for better well-being

Turchi said that overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 has also demonstrated that businesses – and individuals – may have more capability than they might have believed possible. 

“The pandemic really has highlighted our resilience,” she said. “I’m coming out of this with the belief that if I survive this, I can do anything.  

“And the pandemic has reminded us of the importance of a work and life balance. We have been heartily reminded that what’s there today may not be there tomorrow, so not everything is about work, work, work, work. In today’s landscape, leaders really need to consider embracing a culture that fosters this behavior, so we can recruit and retain our employees.”