Leadership Lessons from Midnight Train to Royston | S2 Ep11

03/14/25 • 38 min

Lens of Leadership: A Ted Lasso Rewatch Podcast

🎙 In this episode, Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio jump into Season 2, Episode 11, "Midnight Train to Royston," with special guest Phil Freidhoff from the TANG program. A former U.S. Navy submarine officer turned leadership and operations strategist, Phil brings a compelling mix of human-centered design, servant leadership, and deep emotional intelligence to the conversation.

Episode Highlights:

⚓ Leadership at Depth: From submarine command to coaching future leaders, Phil shares how embracing vulnerability and emotional intelligence in technical environments fosters team harmony and innovation.

⚓ Pep Talks & Perspective: Phil introduces his signature "Get Good at Being Wrong" talk—an empowering leadership lesson in creating momentum and psychological safety for teams.

Special Guest Insights:

Phil brings a rare blend of engineering, philosophy, military leadership, and scoutmaster wisdom to dissect the leadership themes woven into the episode.

✅ Navigating the Balance Between Confidence and Humility

✅ Cultivating Harmony in High-Tech Spaces

✅ Leading Tough Conversations with Clarity and Compassion

✅ Recognizing Team Contributions Without a Spotlight

💡 This episode explores how strong leadership is about creating safe spaces, embracing imperfection, and helping others find their own path forward—even if it means standing in the background while others shine.

📚 Read it like Lasso: Dive deeper into character-driven leadership with our book, Lead It Like Lasso—inspired by the heart and humor of Ted Lasso.

📣 Connect with Phil Freidhoff

Follow Phil on LinkedIn for thoughtful takes on leadership, human-centered design, and navigating the complexities of growing great teams.

#LeadershipPodcast #TedLasso #HumanCenteredLeadership #LeadItLikeLasso #ServantLeadership #TANG #EmotionalIntelligence #LensOfLeadership

Episode Highlights:

⚓ Pep Talks & Perspective: Phil introduces his signature "Get Good at Being Wrong" talk—an empowering leadership lesson in creating momentum and psychological safety for teams.

Special Guest Insights:

Phil brings a rare blend of engineering, philosophy, military leadership, and scoutmaster wisdom to dissect the leadership themes woven into the episode.

✅ Navigating the Balance Between Confidence and Humility

✅ Cultivating Harmony in High-Tech Spaces

✅ Leading Tough Conversations with Clarity and Compassion

✅ Recognizing Team Contributions Without a Spotlight

📚 Read it like Lasso: Dive deeper into character-driven leadership with our book, Lead It Like Lasso—inspired by the heart and humor of Ted Lasso.

📣 Connect with Phil Freidhoff

Follow Phil on LinkedIn for thoughtful takes on leadership, human-centered design, and navigating the complexities of growing great teams.

#LeadershipPodcast #TedLasso #HumanCenteredLeadership #LeadItLikeLasso #ServantLeadership #TANG #EmotionalIntelligence #LensOfLeadership

Previous Episode

A Chat with Ted Lasso Producer - Chip Hamilton | S2 Special Edition

In this special edition of Lens of Leadership, Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio sit down with ChiP Hamilton, coordinating producer of Ted Lasso, and an industry veteran whose credits include Avengers: Endgame, Ghostbusters, and Little Women. Chip shares behind-the-scenes stories, leadership insights, and his personal journey from Boston to Hollywood.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
⚽ Behind the Scenes of Ted Lasso – What it takes to bring a leadership-driven show to life, from production challenges to team culture.
⚽ The Power of Belief – How the cast and crew embraced the Ted Lasso message before the world even knew what it would become.
⚽ Leadership in Action – Chip's role in ensuring everyone on set—from cast to crew—could be their best, and how that translates to leadership in any field.
⚽ Dare to Dream – Chip shares his journey, his love for soccer, and how he turned childhood passions into a career working with legends like Jason Sudeikis, Matt Damon, and Casey Affleck.
⚽ Lessons from Richmond – What makes Richmond (yes, the real one) so special, and why Ted Lasso will always have a home there.
💡 Key Takeaway:
Great leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about creating an environment where others can thrive. Whether on a Hollywood set, in a locker room, or in the workplace, the best leaders believe, encourage, and lift others up.
👉 Subscribe for more Ted Lasso-inspired leadership insights and follow us for updates!
📚 Read it like Lasso: Get our book Lead It Like Lasso to explore practical leadership lessons from the show.
#LeadershipPodcast #TedLasso #Believe #BehindTheScenes #HollywoodLeadership #LeadItLikeLasso

Next Episode

Leadership Lessons from Season 2 Finale: Inverting the Pyramid of Success | S2 Ep12

🎙 In the Season 2 finale of Lens of Leadership, Nick Coniglio and Marnie Stockman wrap up with Episode 12: Inverting the Pyramid of Success. They're joined by special guest Jessica McLeod-Waddell, a higher ed leadership pro and soon-to-be PhD student at the University of Georgia, who brings wisdom, wit, and warmth to a discussion rich with leadership takeaways.

Episode Highlights:

🔑 The Keys to Growth: Jessica introduces a fresh perspective on symbolic storytelling in the Lasso-verse—spotlighting keys as a metaphor for character transitions, identity shifts, and being “locked in” or “locked out” of transformation.

💬 Every Choice Is a Chance: Ted’s moment of owning his panic attack sparks a powerful conversation on values-based decision-making, how to lead your own story, and the real consequences of letting others define your narrative—especially in the digital age.

Special Guest Insights:

From student mentorship to social media guidance, Jessica shares actionable strategies for helping young leaders develop self-awareness, career clarity, and the confidence to pivot. Whether it’s leaning into red threads, chasing purpose, or tuning out the noise, her insights shine with empathy and practicality.

✅ Owning your message in the age of TikTok

✅ Building your Diamond Dogs: The power of peer support and professional community

✅ Mentorship magic: The mentor’s role in listening, lifting, and letting go

✅ Helping students rewrite their story with purpose, not pressure

💡 Key Takeaway: Leadership isn't about solving every problem—sometimes it’s about creating space to talk it out, lean into your values, and surround yourself with people who help you grow.

📚 Read it like Lasso: Explore more character-driven leadership in our book Lead It Like Lasso—designed for real life, real growth, and real connection.

📣 Connect with Jessica McLeod-Waddell: Find her on LinkedIn to follow her journey through education, career coaching, and leadership development. You can also learn more by following Jessica on Instagram and at: https://jessicamcleodwaddell.com/

#LeadershipPodcast #TedLasso #LeadItLikeLasso #ValuesBasedLeadership #LensOfLeadership #CareerDevelopment #MentorshipMatters #StudentSuccess

Lens of Leadership: A Ted Lasso Rewatch Podcast - Leadership Lessons from Midnight Train to Royston | S2 Ep11

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:02.625

Welcome to Lens of Leadership , our Ted Lasso rewatch podcast . Before we dive into this episode's leadership lessons , let's watch a quick recap .

Speaker 200:00:11.539

Season 2 , episode 11 . Midnight train to Royston starts with Sam scoring a hat trick . Keely's all wound up about being in Vanity Fair . Roy's eyebrows are crazy . Nate clearly wants to be i