JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says Turning Around Bad Companies Can Be Learned from TV Show 'Ted Lasso'
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon stated in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that he enjoys the TV show 'Ted Lasso' and believes leaders can learn how to turn around troubled companies from it.
He described Ted Lasso as someone who "knows nothing about football but is kind-hearted," who addresses players' insecurities, bad behaviors, and work attitudes, ultimately getting the team to function. Dimon noted that most troubled companies actually have strong technological foundations, intellectual property, and excellent talent, but are severely hindered by internal politics and bureaucracy.
He pointed out that some individuals act like dictators to maintain the status quo because they benefit from it. Good leaders gradually identify and remove these individuals, allowing the company to start improving. Dimon added that these "bullshitters" often have been around for 25 years and are usually very skilled, making them hard to detect at present.
In the interview, he also discussed topics such as the economy, cybersecurity, and supply chain resilience. Dimon summarized the Lasso style as being patient with people while insisting on having a winning team, emphasizing that the psychological aspect continuously shapes the atmosphere.
The show premiered in 2020 on Apple TV+, starring Jason Sudeikis as an American coach managing a British football team. Dimon compared this to common cultural issues in companies, suggesting that new CEOs can clear out politics and bureaucracy in a similar manner.
In terms of market mechanisms, large enterprises have vested interests that maintain the status quo, hindering efficiency improvements. Leaders who can identify and remove such individuals gain space for organizational improvement, while companies that have been bureaucratic for a long time face talent loss and declining competitiveness. Capital and attention tend to favor assets with cultural improvement potential.
Source: Public Information
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Jamie Dimon has led JPMorgan since the mid-2000s, navigating the 2008 financial crisis and integrating multiple institutions, consistently emphasizing anti-bureaucracy and direct communication. He mentioned the insights from Ted Lasso regarding recognition culture in his 2025 shareholder letter and further elaborated on specific paths to turn around troubled companies in the October 2026 WSJ interview.
In terms of capital pathways, internal politics and dictatorial maintenance of the status quo lock in existing interests, hindering the flow of resources towards high-output directions. After removing such individuals, the stock of technology and talent can be released, improving company valuation and operational efficiency. Dimon likened this to building sports teams, emphasizing the continuous shaping of the psychological atmosphere.
Similar to other large financial institutions or industrial companies, new CEOs have achieved cultural shifts by clearing out middle management vested interests. Currently, large organizations are facing pressures from AI and efficiency, with internal bureaucracy becoming an explicit bottleneck.
This essentially involves the transfer of internal pricing power and control. Vested interests maintain the status quo through information and process advantages, while leaders break the lock-in through personnel adjustments. The mechanism lies in information asymmetry and long-term path dependence, making issues difficult to identify immediately, requiring time and direct intervention to release existing capabilities.
ABAB News · Cognitive Laws
Bad companies lack talent, not the removal of bad people
25 years of nonsense is currently the hardest to detect
Being kind-hearted does not mean being weak; the key is to have a winning team