Ted Lasso, the Holy Fool, and why you need a facilitator

Like most other humans alive in the Western world today, I adore Ted Lasso. So when I spotted a Tish Harrison Warren article in the New York Times recently called “Ted Lasso, Holy Fool,” it was an easy click. 

Warren describes Ted Lasso’s character as embodying an ancient religious archetype: the holy fool. The fool is “a person who flouts social conventions to demonstrate allegiance to God. Holy fools dwell in ordinary, secular life, but they approach it with completely different values. Rejecting respectability and embracing humility and love, holy fools are so profoundly out of step with the broader world that they appear to be ridiculous or even insane and often invite ridicule. And yet, they teach the rest of us how to live.”

That’s a high bar if ever I’ve heard one! But then, Warren goes on to say that a fool’s foolishness is attached to their insight. Their very silliness can offer a change in perspective and that it is right within the silliness that their true power is found. 

Now, that’s something I can understand and get behind. Namely, because the job of a facilitator is to do something similar. 

As a professional facilitator, silliness is my secret weapon. The idea of it - even the word silly - is undervalued, often reviled in our very serious business culture. Yet, when deployed for the greater good, it tends to surprise and delight. I’ve asked senior leaders at a startup to don sweatbands and warm up with vintage Richard Simmons in order to de-armor before delving into a tough DEI conversation. Silly? Yes. Did it work? Also yes. 

When we disarm through silliness and play, it can lead to more than just a change in perspective - it can lead to more bravery, empathy, psychological safety and connectedness. This doesn’t mean that facilitators magically create those qualities of course, but that we can humble ourselves to create environments where such an alchemy becomes almost inevitable. Playful, silly fun is the key to getting along with toddlers, sure, but it’s also the key to unlocking the real person inside us all. A great facilitator can be a fool for what matters most, and the collective group is better for it. 

Before you plan your next gathering, all-company trip, executive session, team retreat or board meeting, we’d love to talk to you about how a facilitator can join you in your cause. We would love to make like Ted and help you create something bigger, more meaningful and more fun than you can imagine.