Did Gaming Nurture My Leadership Style?

Though I’m not a millennial and did not grow up on MMORPGs (Massive Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games), I did however grow up on Atari, Nintendo and other gaming devices. As an only child and independent learner, these devices kept me entertained for hours on end, and out of trouble.

  • Did gaming help me hone my strategic skills?
  • Did gaming teach me how to be responsive, faster?

A few business professors recently studied this and began to forecast how the future business world may be more like a MMORG due to the environment being more dynamic and game like, requiring tomorrow’s leaders to

  • Have speed
  • Be risk takers
  • Accept leadership roles as temporary

I found the last comment interesting. It means title will no longer entitle you to always take the lead, or not take the lead. It means peers/employees of the company select who will be a leader for a project or initiative, but it’s not permenant and others will have a chance to lead as well.

I believe that is already happening in many companies – for example where I am we have different types of governance and advisory councils for different types of projects and peers/others select “who” will take the lead either till the next year or when that project comes to completion.

This made me ponder on if we are just trying to morph corporate america into a world millennials could live in. What do you think?

  • Should we be educating more junior colleagues on the ins and outs of the “corporate game” to help achieve what one wants to do and/or accomplish while in a career for one company?
  • Is the “game” a new, more modern, acceptable term for what we know as today for “politics”.

Now if only Zelda or Mario could lead corporate america…

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