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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2021)
COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL BUSINESS COMMENT OctOBER 2021 • 13 Rekindling passion for your business A leadership lesson from Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso’ By Jessica Newhall clatsop community college Small Business Development center The fall season is upon us, and, along with all things pumpkin spice, comes a return of many favorite TV shows after the summer hiatus. In our house, a top choice is Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” the story of a U.K. football (soccer) team, AFC Richmond, and its leader, the title character Ted Lasso. Ted is an Ameri- can college football coach hired by AFC Richmond’s owner to move to the U.K. and take the helm as head coach. Unbe- knownst to Ted, he is a pawn in her divorce-revenge plot as she hopes his lack of experience will lead to the sinking of the team’s standings. As the story unfolds, viewers fol- low along as Ted and his assistant, Coach Beard, enter the foreign world of English Premier football and learn to navigate the complexities of an unfamil- iar sport and highly charged personalities of the team members under their charge. The show has a lighthearted and humor- ous tone yet underlying all of this are pro- found explorations into human motiva- tion and organizational behavior. As the coaches work to build an incredible cul- ture rooted in positivity and teamwork it is easy to forget that you are watching a sports show. However, you will find your- self rooting for each character as they fall under the spell of Ted’s incredible leadership. While I won’t spoil too much of the show’s happenings, a moment in a recent episode struck me with a particularly poi- gnant message — one that small business owners can draw inspiration from. In it, AFC Richmond’s team captain, Isaac, is in a dark place emotionally, exuding negativity with the team he is charged with leading and his performance on the field is far below his abilities. To inspire change in his behavior, he is “tricked” into showing up to play at a neighborhood pick-up soccer match. At first, he scoffs at the idea of playing “down” with a bunch of amateurs but soon he discovers that in experiencing the simple joy of play- ing the game he loves, his energy and attitude are transformed and his perfor- mance soars. Watching Isaac’s experience reminded me of the journey of entrepreneurship. When starting out, in that “budding busi- ness” phase, entrepreneurs exude an incredible sense of purpose and positivity, fueled by passion, confidence and hope- fulness for their future. Yet, once the busi- ness gets underway, the toll of the long hours, customer demands and never-end- ing learning can begin to grind down even the heartiest of business owners. Passion and enthusiasm can wane, product qual- ity slips, customer service diminishes and employee dynamics sour. The pandemic has added an extra layer of stress and complexity. Many busi- ness owners I have talked to recently have expressed feelings of exhaustion and burnout. Some wonder whether they are cut out for this any longer and if they should simply throw in the towel. Jessica Newhall When these types of conversations happen in a small business coaching ses- sion, I often encourage the owner to share with me their “founder’s story” — what was it that drove them to get started in the first place? The purpose of exploring this early stage is to hopefully rediscover their “why?” in the hope that it reminds them and rekindles their spirit and energy of their early entrepreneurial journey. If you find yourself with waning energy and enthusiasm for your business, serv- ing your customers or inspiring and lead- ing your employees, I encourage you to explore some of these questions: • What was it that drove you to want to be a business owner? • How did you feel when you started your business? CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL • What was that special and unique thing about you, your product or service that gave you confidence to get started? • What benefits did you see your busi- ness delivering to customers? • What do you love about your business? • Why do your customers love your business? Hopefully, by taking yourself on this journey back to your early entrepreneur self, you can, like Isaac in “Ted Lasso,” rediscover the passion and enthusiasm needed to inspire you to show up fully for your business, customers and team moving forward. Jessica Newhall is the associate director and Small Business Manage- ment Program manager for the Clat- sop Community College Small Busi- ness Development Center. She can be reached at jnewhall@clatsopcc.edu. • Business News Updates • e-edition CoastRiverBusinessJournal.com Get to The Point. Expert Service. Guaranteed. Trust your vehicle safety to the professionals at DEL’S O.K. TIRE Same owners•Same tires Same great service YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR TIRES CUSTOM WHEELS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES 503-325-2861 Business News Updates e-edition CoastRiverBusinessJournal.com For emergencies 503-325-0233 35359 Business Hwy 101 (Miles Crossing) Astoria, OR Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6 · Sat- 8-4
