Politics rewards activity; people reward outcomes 

Ted Lasso’s genius is its understanding of people. Football is simply where it plays out. 

Across the Apple TV series, there’s no shortage of power struggles, media storms and personal dramas. Rebecca sets out to sabotage the club to punish her ex-husband. Paparazzi photos turn Ted and Keeley’s platonic kiss into a scandal. Nate’s search for validation pulls him away from the people who value him most. 

The drama is all-consuming for those involved, but the supporters in the stands are watching the scoreboard. 

That gap drives much of the show. Ted plays a long game, slowly building trust, belief and belonging, but the fans’ impatience is real. Empathy and good intentions are not outcomes – they matter only if they change what happens on the pitch. 

The same dynamic runs through politics, business and the media. Insiders become absorbed in strategy, process and personalities. Close observers debate the tactics and follow the theatre. Everyone else is asking a simpler question: does any of it make a darn difference to my life?  

Turning activity into outcomes requires influence, and influence starts with understanding the view from the other side of the table.  

Whether you’re talking to a minister, journalist or chief executive, everyone arrives with their own priorities, pressures and objectives. The best communicators explore the other person’s perspective. They may arrive with a solution to a known problem or, by listening, discover a more important underlying issue.  

That’s Ted’s real strength. He pays attention to people when everyone else is preoccupied with tactics. But understanding is useful only if it helps deliver an outcome that matters. 

For SAS Impact clients, that means starting with what governments, philanthropists and funding bodies are trying to achieve, then identifying where a client’s strengths and capabilities align with funders’ priorities. Funding generally follows organisations that can show how they will solve a problem and deliver a social and fiscal return on investment.  

Meetings held, submissions lodged and coverage secured can demonstrate effort, but they don’t prove impact if nothing changes. Across government, media, investor and stakeholder relations, the principle is the same: understand what matters to the other person, shape your case around it and be able to show what changed.