{"id":1797,"date":"2021-10-21T05:34:20","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T12:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leadershipchoice.com\/?p=1797"},"modified":"2021-10-21T05:34:20","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T12:34:20","slug":"leadership-hacks-video-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.taylorsolutionsinc.com\/lc\/leadership-hacks-video-games\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Leadership Hacks from Video Games: Leadership Secrets from an Unlikely Source"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider show_arrows=”off” show_pagination=”off” admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” _builder_version=”4.16″ parallax=”on” custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding_tablet=”|||” custom_padding_phone=”|||” box_shadow_style=”preset6″ box_shadow_blur=”10px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.1)” remove_inner_shadow=”off” hide_content_on_mobile=”off” hide_cta_on_mobile=”off” show_inner_shadow=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][et_pb_slide heading=”4 Leadership Hacks from Video Games: Leadership Secrets from an Unlikely Source” use_bg_overlay=”on” bg_overlay_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.23)” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font=”||||” body_font=”||||” background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”https:\/\/dev.taylorsolutionsinc.com\/lc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Businessman-Playing-Video-Games.jpeg” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” sticky_transition=”on”]by Patrick\u00a0Bosworth
\n[\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_fullwidth_slider][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||-40px|” transparent_background=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Social Media Share” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”] [feather_share] [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Leadership Secrets from an Unlikely Source<\/h1>\n

As a father, if my son tried to use the \u201cDad, video games develop my leadership skills!\u201d line on me, I wouldn\u2019t fall for it. Not in a million years. Because I\u2019m an experienced father who can see a teenager\u2019s excuses and justifications from a mile away.<\/p>\n

But at the same time, after decades of experience in leadership development<\/a> and organizational psychology, I also acknowledge that this may not be as much of a \u201cline\u201d as I (or even my son) may think.<\/p>\n

I recently attended a conference in which one of the keynotes talked about how he would come home from work, holler a \u201chello!\u201d down to the media room, and get no response. He\u2019d end up popping his head in to see his headphone-clad son in a dark room silhouetted by a bright screen full of missions, quests, and assortments of creative armor and weaponry.<\/p>\n

As I listened to the keynote speaker, I laughed to myself as I too have the exact same \u201c\u2019hello!\u2019 \u2026silence\u2026\u201d relationship with my son when he is playing video games.<\/p>\n

But then the keynote speaker said something that surprised me. “When I come home and get that answer of silence,” he said, “I know my son is doing great things.” To him, this was a clear sign that his son was collaborating with a peer group from around the world, working on a collaborative objective to solve a problem or achieve a goal.<\/p>\n

Am I Really So Old School?<\/h3>\n

When I see my son playing video games my mind sees a boy wasting his time in a dark room by himself, staring at a large screen filled with a group of futuristic \u201cguardians,\u201d fighting different forms of evil creatures alongside a cluster of clandestine strangers, trying to upgrade their weaponry, and save their fanciful world.<\/p>\n

Has my \u201cold school\u201d mindset been missing the idea that these networked video games might actually be teaching my child valuable leadership lessons?<\/p>\n

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World Of Warcraft, Innovation, and Talent Acceleration<\/h3>\n

In a speaking engagement at Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation<\/a>, John Seely Brown, a well-known researcher who specializes in organizational studies (and media), discusses the exponential capacity for learning and innovation within the collaborative environment of World of Warcraft.<\/p>\n

During this speaking engagement and his Big Think video, How World of Warcraft Could Save Your Business and The Economy<\/a>, Brown describes how practices of the game can be a strategic model for benefiting organizations.
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In World of Warcraft (a.k.a. WoW), a group of players called \u201cguilds\u201d typically comprised of 100-200 players, work collaboratively to achieve a larger goal. What makes this goal different from a work environment (besides not having bonus structures or incentives as a driver for innovation) is that instead of benchmarks and performance measurements being determined by higher-ups, they\u2019re decided together as a team. The environment isn\u2019t about producing a predetermined outcome through a preset, micromanaged list of tasks; it\u2019s about developing new ideas and strategies, adapting to new challenges, growing skills and techniques, and ultimately progressing as a team unit.<\/p>\n

Brown calls social organization an ideation structure and idea refinement structure. The collaboration of a team focused on advancing learning within the group as a whole<\/em> becomes an accelerator. The passion, curiosity, and interest-driven phenomenon facilitates exponential learning.<\/p>\n

4 Things Leaders Can Learn From Video Games<\/h3>\n

1 \u2013 Delegating isn\u2019t about passing off lesser tasks to others; it\u2019s about leveling up the entire team.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>An effective leader doesn\u2019t delegate the menial tasks off in order to save the more important tasks for him or herself. An effective leader figures out what each of his team members is good at and what will elevate the team\u2019s overall skill level, and delegates to develop team members\u2019 strengths accordingly.<\/p>\n

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Stay in Touch<\/h3>\n

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