Throughout my academic journey, I’ve found that departments driven by acceptance, curiosity, and trust were more positive and productive than those characterized by competition, blame, and criticism. More than policies, structures, or even talent, culture shaped whether people felt safe to speak up, ask questions, and take intellectual risks. This intuition was recently confirmed by Google’s Re:Work project (n.d.), which found that the single most important ingredient for team effectiveness is psychological safety.
Leading Like Lasso: Leadership Skills That Build and Sustain Positive Organizational Culture
On his first day coaching English football, Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, walks into the locker room with no playbook, no soccer experience, and no intention of pretending he
Deborah Erickson and Katie Fischer
September 2, 2025
