Play As A Leadership Operating System

The Power of Play in Leadership

Let's talk about play as a leadership framework, or operating system, if you will.

In a business as serious as leadership, it might seem counterintuitive or maybe even downright irresponsible to talk about play as a pathway to great leadership- and I get it. Play is filled with glorious, wonderful mistakes. Some enjoyable and some not.

But the interesting thing is… so is real life. Life is filled with the same level of risk/reward as any game might be, but the difference is: in a game every move is intentional and carefully thought about. When you’re engaged in play you maintain an objective perspective and make choices about where you're going to achieve a positive end. You play for the win.

When we’re not distracted, life can be that intentional too.

Play Takes Intention

Think about how many times you go through a season of your life just completely distracted, knowing your long-term goals somewhere subconsciously, but really, mostly floating through your day-to-day distracted, uninformed, unaware, and not so intentional about your future.

OK the headline is: it’s the intention that makes the difference when your leadership philosophy is fueled by play.

One of the coolest things about play is the impact it has on workplace culture. This is because everyone who's invited and chooses to engage in a game does so under a common set of rules and understandings. This could be as simple as here are the boundaries, here's what's in and here's what's out, or it can be as monumental as this area is “base”, this is safe. There can even be some surprising switcheroo that's embedded into the game, but having chosen to play this surprise becomes a challenging delight, rather than an unexpected obstacle.

The Game Layer at Work

The most common way that game elements show up in a workplace are through culture principles like your organization's mission, vision, and values. These become game mechanics (i.e. rules and structures of a game) when those elements are simply written down and shared actively through meetings, discussions, visuals, and events that elevate your organization’s values. Good examples include an emerging leader program named after your organization’s founder, an annual award that's given at the company retreat, or a recognition that honors a soon-to-be-retired team member.

The language that is used within your workplace sets the tone for culture. More specifically, culture lives through the everyday things that your team says and the small behaviors that they do- it could be how everyone shares inside jokes, it could be the officially unofficial team slogan or team mascot, or how you’ve got a strong meme game going on in Slack. In addition to the official language of a company, this informal language makes a difference and helps define the culture and the game everyone is in.

The Role of Play in Workplace Culture

This is why it’s so powerful for leaders responsible for org culture to get a handle on play as a leadership construct. Whether you know it or not, your organization functions like a massively multiplayer real life role-playing game- a MMrRPG, if you will. The teammates who get the work done combine with the systems used to create your value proposition, and in between is the language used to describe and communicate those products, systems, value, and how it all functions together.

To give you a really clear example, Let's look at how the unwritten rules of the game in monopoly line up to a few of the basic tasks in your work-day.

First, you choose a character. If this doesn't line up literally and metaphorically to how you show up at work, I don't know what does. You come into your job each day with a title and a role, but beyond that we are all also choosing to show up as a version of ourselves that fits within that culture. I hope it's a positive version- check yourself!

Then, everyone is assigned assets. $1500 bucks in monopoly money (unless you're that funny uncle who gives out an extra four grand to everybody to really raise the stakes). In our work world those assets are the incredible and unique strengths that each of us brings to our team (and the fun uncle is how successful our workplace is at adding extra support such as work life balance, hybrid schedules, learning opportunities, etc.) The fun parts help everyone thrive.

And last, the objective of monopoly is to become the wealthiest player through the buying renting and selling of property. The main difference in our workplace is that we shouldn't be competing against one another, rather, we should all be working to play team monopoly where we’re collectively aiming for the object of our game. It’s collaborative instead of competitive. P.S. I am not advocating for monopolies here in the real-life game-layer. Let's just say I want everyone to be able to play a great game.

Interestingly, the bulk of the rules of monopoly are not about how to roll the dice and move your character around the board. In fact, those steps are surprisingly never mentioned in recent editions of the game rules. However, everything that is covered really comes down to standard operating procedures. It's the standards in Monopoly that allow the game to function. They're written in a way that's very clear, that all players have access to, and that leave no doubt about how to get it done. It's beautiful. Can you tell that I love standards?

Updating Your Leadership Operating System

So what does all of this mean for you in your organization? Well I'd ask you to consider with great intention how your team comes together and put forth puts forth effort toward their goals. Reflect on this: does everyone have individual goals or is there one united goal that everyone is marching toward in their own way?

This shared mission is the amplifier that helps leadership behaviors come to life through the premise of play. We succeed faster when we’re playing toward the same end. This shared purpose helps teams play for the win.

Leadership is built upon the choices and intentions we bring into our work day. The choices that define our mindset and that make a positive impact on others. Yes, I'm saying positive. I'm baking it right into the definition of leadership because anything less doesn't get the job done to the highest standard. Plain and simple, to be a great leader you also have to play well with others; to truly have their back.

I am putting forward this idea that a playful mindset and the objectivity to see the infinite game is a mark of tremendous leadership, and that we should all dive into exploring this more. So… can you imagine this OS with me?

Okay, Let's Play!

• Alright, here’s where the fun begins. Let’s harness the incredible power of play to elevate your leadership and supercharge your team's performance. 

Ready: Embrace the Concept of Play

• Think about how you can incorporate play into your leadership approach. How can you be more intentional with your individual and shared goals?

Set: Identify Opportunities for Game-Based Thinking

• Find ways to integrate a playful, resilient mindset into your daily routine. Can you see the day with openness and sense of adventure? Can you treat obstacles like curious surprises?

Go: Four Actionable Steps to Get Started:

• Embrace your “character” as a leader. Choose how you want to show up for others. 
• Remember your assets, and feel confident in your unique strengths, skills, and style. 
• Incorporate your individual goals into the bigger picture of team goals and wins. 
• Play well with others and remember the leadership long-game is about uplifting people.

By making play your leadership operating system, you can foster a culture of intentionality, creativity, and continuous improvement. Embrace the power of play, and watch your team thrive.

Your Call to Action: Embrace Playful Leadership

If you’re game for a level-up, here’s my advice: embrace a playful mindset and incorporate game-based thinking into your leadership style. When you do, you'll see your team become more engaged, creative, and motivated. By fostering an environment that values play, you're encouraging innovation, collaboration, and a positive work culture. But more importantly, when everyone on your team is united by a common mission, the wins happen faster.

Remember, the power of play isn't just for games—it can be serious business. If it’s been awhile since you upgraded your Leadership Operating System, try reflecting on play as a driver of inspiration and motivation. This leadership game is yours to win.

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Hey there! I’m Blair Bloomston, the creative mind behind the Play Uplifted blog, fueled by my 20+ years of experience as a game-based learning designer. The ideas and content? All mine. But I have to give a shoutout to my amazing assistant, ChatGPT, who swoops in to fix my typos and smooth out the grammar. Together, we’re here to elevate your leadership game. Cheers for collaborAItion at work!