Warning: This edition contains spoilers about the recently released episode of Ted Lasso.
This week, a years-long wait came to an end as I watched the premiere of Season 4 of Ted Lasso. Like almost all the episodes from Seasons 1 through 3, I found myself smiling as I watched. Late in the show, Ted goes into his office to think about the offer he received to go back to England and coach AFC Richmond’s new women’s team.
Rebecca, in her offer, said, “We want you to coach our women’s team. To lay the foundations of the Richmond culture that you created with our men.” In reply, Ted quipped, “Are you trying to sabotage this team now too, or something?” After sharing a brief laugh, Rebecca steadied herself and delivered a response that simultaneously communicated her love and respect for Ted, as well as a measure of deep humility that’s often only found by those who’ve found healing after being deeply broken: “No, quite the opposite. Last time, I hired you for all the wrong reasons. This time, I absolutely want to hire you for all the right ones.”
As Ted sits at his desk thinking about his future, he finds himself surrounded by his past, by so many happy memories from his time coaching the men’s team. After spending a few moments thinking, he pulls out his phone and texts Michelle.
Hey, crazy idea…
In the days since, I’ve found myself thinking about those words and how they somehow feel intended for all of us.
In life, we begin with “Crazy idea” when we introduce ideas that sound unlikely, ideas that run against the grain of traditional wisdom, and ideas that require us to believe in something long before we know whether it will actually work.
So, here’s my crazy idea:
What if the greatest opportunity to improve our schools isn’t found in our students, our colleagues, our administrators, our district, or even in educational policy? What if our greatest opportunity is, and always has been, us?
As educators, we often spend a lot of energy looking outward. We want students to be more engaged. We long for parents to become more involved. We wish teachers were more collaborative, principals were more supportive, districts were more responsive, and policymakers were more connected to the reality of school.
Let me be clear: none of those desires are misplaced. They absolutely matter. And many of them deserve our time, energy, and advocacy.
However, as I enter into my third decade in education, I’ve become increasingly convinced that the pursuit of something better always starts with us.
Every classroom is influenced by the character of the teacher who leads it. Every team is shaped by the leader who serves it. Every relationship is affected by the person who chooses how they will show up. While we cannot control every circumstance around us, we always have the opportunity to influence the one person whose choices will shape every interaction we have – us.
Here’s the thing: the quality of our leadership is bound to the quality of our character. So, before we can positively influence culture, we must first cultivate hearts, minds, and habits worthy of influencing others.
As we begin another school year and another series of Choose to Be Great, let’s always remember that the work starts with us. Every day, through our thoughts, our choices, and our actions, we’re continuously answering the question, Who are we becoming? The answer to that question never affects only us – it always extends beyond ourselves and into the lives of others. And, in the end, the greatest contribution we make to others is often the person we become while in service to them.
Maybe that’s a crazy idea.
Or, maybe, that’s where greatness has always begun.
#ChooseToBeGreat
Angelo
CHOOSE TO BE GREAT 