Fantasy Meets Reality: When Gameplay Transcends the Game

For those of us who play roleplaying games regularly we often find ourselves reminiscing with our groups about moments of high drama or excitement that we’ve experiences in our games. It often feels like we’ve lived the encounters, our experience moves beyond the game. The highs, the lows and the dramatic were all experienced. For our memory they feel real.

I can still picture the time my warrior character fled before a goblin horde, bravely trying to lead them into an ambush. The sense of dread as the mob of savage goblins nipped at his heels. Burning buildings on either side of the street. The roll of a die determining his fate. Tangible fear and tension.

It was exciting and my friends and I remember that encounter with genuine fondness.

Another experience which has always stuck with me was pivotal in me pursuing a career in leadership. I was on a “Managing People” course and had been split into teams. My role was leader for this scenario. We were up against actors portraying an aggressive client. The stress and pressure was on. It felt uncomfortable. I got the team together, we collaborated on a solution, I set priorities and we were off!

I experienced the pressure of a stressful leadership experience and found that I loved it. Really loved it. I’ve never looked back.

Experiencing Real

Interestingly, in her book “Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self,” author Jennifer Ouellette explores various aspects of human identity. For me the highlight of the book revolves around the experience of playing roleplaying games. Detailing how these experiences are treated as real by the human memory.

According to Ouellette, roleplaying games are a form of “experiential fiction” in which players immerse themselves as characters within a fictional world. During gameplay, players often make decisions and interact with other characters in ways that feel real and meaningful. She notes that this sense of immersion can be so strong that it affects the way players remember their experiences.

Additionally, a study conducted by psychologist William Sims Bainbridge looked at players of the online roleplaying game “World of Warcraft”. He found their memories of the game were just as vivid and detailed as memories of real-life events.

This phenomenon is thought to occur because the brain processes all experiences in a similar way, regardless of whether they are real or fictional. The brain stores memories based on the emotional and sensory input that they provide. Of course, roleplaying games often provide this rich and immersive sensory experience.

Overall, Ouellette suggests that the experience of playing roleplaying games can be just as real and meaningful to players as real-life experiences. While memories created during gameplay can be just as vivid and long-lasting.

Going Beyond the Game

This is really interesting to me. The idea that we can use roleplaying games to give people experiences that their memory will remember as close real life is compelling. For me, this means that we can use roleplaying games like D&D as a tool to give people experiences that can accumulate as real lived experience.

Imagine the future leaders in your company. They get trained in the theory and principals of good leadership. However, placing them in a position of authority can be daunting due to their lack of experience. What if you could run them through a series of roleplaying game scenarios where the cohort experiences difficult leadership decisions together. Measured and considerate feedback cements the lessons.

This type of training is exemplified by the military. Intense field exercises where the role of leader is switched between students gives them lived experience of leading under pressure. I don’t see why we cant create a similar experience using RPGs, albeit in the comfort of the indoors.

Have you ever used RPGs in the training environment?

The Essence of Leadership: Roles and Responsibilities

It takes finesse, trust and creativity to get a team of disparate individuals to come together to achieve a common goal. Leadership is a multifaceted concept that encompasses a wide range of qualities, skills, and responsibilities. Literally thousands of books have been written on the subject of leadership, what it means and how to master its intricacies.  In this post, we explore the essence of leadership, examining its definition, and key attributes. We delve into the importance of vision, influence, integrity, empathy, and the ability to inspire and empower others.

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.

Jack Welch

Defining Leadership: Beyond Titles and Authority

Leadership extends beyond titles and positions of authority. At its core, leadership is about guiding and influencing individuals or groups towards a common goal. It involves inspiring others to achieve their full potential and fostering an environment of collaboration and growth. Importantly, leadership is not confined to a single individual but can emerge from any member of a team who exhibits the necessary qualities and takes initiative to lead by example.

Vision: Setting Direction and Inspiring Others

A defining aspect of leadership is having a clear vision and being able to communicate it effectively. Leaders must establish a compelling vision that inspires and motivates others, providing a sense of purpose and direction. Through their vision, leaders guide individuals and teams, aligning their efforts towards achieving shared goals.

Influence and Impact: Inspiring Others to Take Action

Exerting influence to bring about positive change is a key component of leadership. Effective leaders possess the ability to influence and inspire others, encouraging them to take action and strive for excellence. They lead by example, demonstrating integrity, competence, and a strong work ethic, which motivates others to follow suit.

Integrity and Ethics: Guiding with Moral Principles

Leadership entails upholding high ethical standards and acting with integrity. Leaders earn trust and respect by consistently demonstrating honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour. They make decisions that consider the best interests of their team, stakeholders, and the greater good. Ethical leadership creates a culture of trust and fosters long-term success.

Empathy is a crucial leadership skill

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and Connecting with Others

Leadership involves understanding and connecting with people on an emotional level. Empathy and emotional intelligence enable leaders to recognize and appreciate the perspectives, needs, and emotions of others. By demonstrating empathy, leaders can build stronger relationships, foster collaboration, and create an inclusive and supportive environment.

Inspiration and Empowerment: Cultivating Potential in Others

Leadership is about inspiring and empowering others to reach their full potential. Effective leaders provide guidance, support, and resources to help individuals grow and develop their skills. They create an environment that encourages autonomy, innovation, and continuous learning, enabling their team members to flourish and contribute meaningfully.

Good leaders share the spotlight and are quick to give credit to others.

Final Thoughts on the Essence of Leadership

Leadership is a dynamic and multifaceted concept that goes beyond titles and authority. It encompasses vision, influence, integrity, empathy, and the ability to inspire and empower others. Effective leaders set a clear direction, inspire individuals and teams, uphold ethical standards, connect with people on an emotional level, and cultivate the potential of those they lead. By understanding and embodying the essence of leadership, individuals can unlock their own leadership potential and make a positive impact in the world.

Now we understand what leadership is, how do we get better at it? The short, unsexy answer, is practice.  The best way to learn leadership is to do leadership. While this can be frightening there is no getting away from this fact.

Reading books, attending courses and seminars are great for giving you the theory. You can only put it into practice when taking real leadership action. Whether leading a business, team, project or initiative, all help grow your leadership muscles. But these examples are not safe spaces, failure to lead well can cause stress, financial loss and damage team dynamics.

What if there was another way. A method that could let you gain valuable leadership skills by actually doing them?

I believe that roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons might hold the key to this very question.