What Ted Lasso Can Teach You About Positivity
Be a Goldfish.
Ted Lasso isn’t just a show about soccer—it’s a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and the power of a positive mindset.
And one of its best lessons? “Be a goldfish.”
In other words, let go of mistakes, don’t dwell on the past, and move forward fast. It’s simple advice, but if you apply it to work, leadership, and life, it changes everything.
1. Dwelling on Failure Doesn’t Help
Everyone screws up. You botch a project. You lose a client. You miss a deadline.
What happens next is what matters. If you spend days (or weeks) obsessing over a mistake, you’re not learning—you’re just stuck.
Goldfish don’t dwell. They move on.
Smart people take the lesson and keep going.
The past can’t be changed, but your next move can.
Holding onto failure just wastes time you could spend getting better.
2. Positivity Isn’t Naïve—It’s a Competitive Edge
People love to roll their eyes at optimism, but here’s the truth: negativity kills momentum.
Ted Lasso doesn’t ignore problems—he just chooses to face them with a mindset that finds solutions instead of excuses.
When things go wrong, leaders don’t panic—they adjust.
When a team loses, they don’t collapse—they regroup.
When the odds are stacked against you, believing you can win is step one to actually winning.
Optimism isn’t about pretending things are great when they’re not. It’s about choosing to respond to challenges in a way that moves you forward.
3. People Perform Better When They Feel Valued
Ted’s leadership style works because he understands one simple truth: people don’t just want to win—they want to feel like they matter.
A positive culture doesn’t mean being soft—it means setting high standards while supporting people.
Encouragement isn’t weakness—it’s fuel for confidence.
Building people up gets better results than tearing them down.
If your team feels appreciated, they’ll run through walls for you.
Short Memory, Big Heart
Ted Lasso’s advice to “be a goldfish” isn’t about ignoring mistakes—it’s about not letting them define you.
Learn from failure, but don’t dwell on it.
Face challenges with optimism, not excuses.
Treat people like they matter, and they’ll rise to the occasion.
It’s not magic—it’s just good leadership.
