Jamie Dimon says CEOs should be more like Ted Lasso instead of like ‘autocrats’—and tell their employees how they truly feel

When Ted Lasso took over AFC Richmond, the fictional England soccer team at the center of Apple TV’s hit series, his relentlessly positive attitude and folksy charm made him an unlikely leader.

But beneath his optimism was a coach who understood how to bring out the best in people—even when that meant confronting their insecurities, calling out bad behavior, and demanding better.

It’s a leadership style that even JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon admitted he’s learned from.

“I love Ted Lasso,” Dimon recently told The Wall Street Journal .

“He comes in and he doesn’t know anything about football, and he’s just gracious.

He’s working with people—their insecurities, their bad behavior, their work ethic—and he’s getting them to function as a team.” The 70-year-old added that Lasso gets at something many corporate leaders struggle with: balancing humility and empathy with an unwavering drive to win.

“Most of these companies have huge capabilities, IP, and great people.

But a lot of big companies are political and bureaucratic,” Dimon said.

“The people would like to get out of that, most of them—but some of the bad people want to keep it that way, like autocrats, they want to keep things suppressed because they benefit from it.” That often shows up when unnamed “terrible companies” have to bring in a new CEO to clean up a culture problem, Dimon said.

However, it would suit many to be more like Lasso to begin with—and speak up when there are problems, even if it may not be easy to hear.

“A good leader over time figures it out, removes some of the bad ones, and the place starts to shine,” Dimon added.

“It can take some time because these bullshitters have been doing it for 25 years, and they’re usually pretty good at it.

It’s hard to notice in real time.” Chevron’s CEO agrees with Dimon: The ‘best leaders’ ask questions and listen to others Dimon isn’t the only business leader who saw leadership lessons in the show, now in its fourth season and starring Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham .

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth has also praised Lasso’s approach, particularly his willingness to listen before jumping to conclusions.