Leadership experience from an unlikely source

Posted on February 28, 2012 by The Soderquist Center | 0 Comments

My husband, Bill, and I are very different.

2:00pm on a Saturday usually looks something like this at our house: I’m on the couch crocheting, working on a freelance graphic design project, or attempting to bake in the kitchen…and Bill is at his desk playing a computer game.

I’ve never understood the intrigue, but I know he enjoys it. I recently watched this video where Stanford professor Byron Reeves shares how video games, like World of Warcraft (one of Bill’s favorites), play a big role in these players’ growth in leadership skills.

The more I thought about it, I realized he’s right. I’ve seen Bill work with a team of fellow gamers to accomplish a goal. I’ve heard him talk about the specific role he plays in achieving that goal. It’s funny that I never noticed, until now, how this relates to the “real world.”

What the business community can learn from gamers:

People will work diligently at what they love, sometimes for no pay.
Team dynamic makes a difference when it comes to winning.
Communication is crucial in a high-stakes game.
When there is no practice, learn from your mistakes and make adjustments.
Communicating the strategy at the individual level is vital for execution.

While I think I’ll stick to my own hobbies, I now have a greater appreciation for this growing global past time and how it is affecting our generation of leadership.

By Christy Hall, Digital Designer

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Leadership experience from an unlikely source

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