Playful Leadership is…
I think we all know what a leader is..
Though for decades scholars have tried to define it precisely when people are asked to give examples of a leader who inspired them, they always have an answer. When people are in the presence of great leadership, they feel it. Leadership is probably one of the most studied fields in social studies. No wonder. Leaders are part of our life from the beginning. The first leaders we meet are our parents. As we grow, we meet more and more leaders, and honestly who have not admired one or two superheroes or wanted to be one at some point in their lives.
The concept of leadership has ignited the curiosity of many scholars, trying to uncover this magical, somehow mysterious way of making some people succeed in the places where others fail. Maybe, because secretly every one of us wants to be a little like them. Leadership scientific studies have evolved over time. First, scholars believed in leadership as a born trait (The ‘Great man’ theory) which saw the leader as an exceptional individual. Later on, emerged the understanding that leadership is behavior-based, situation contingent. New perceptions have emphasized transformational, and authentic Leadership. The more our world changes, the more we want to know who is best suited to take the lead in a dynamic ever-changing climate.
Living in a dynamic world requires leaders to always adapt and adjust. This ability is deeply rooted in the realm of play. Play and playfulness are tools to navigate through change and they are skills that can be learned.
Despite the different approaches, all scholars have agreed that two main factors are at the heart of understanding Leadership- that it is an influence process that occurs in the context of the Leader and the “followers”.I personally don’t like the term “followers” which draws a one-way direction of influence – Leader influences followers. I think influence always happens both ways. Everyone is both an influencer and an influence simultaneously.
A playful leadership has no scientific background,(at least, not yet)it’s a made-up name I use for a hybrid of approaches that aims to create as many interactions as possible within an organization, a team, to ensure that all team members are invited to ‘play’ in the arena, have a voice, and therefore the ability to influence and feel meaningful.
A playful leadership is about taking the responsibility for leading playful life, which in practice means,
- Choosing the road to travel consciously. (not by chance or imitation of someone else, )
- Knowing deeply, wholeheartedly, that everyone is a unique player, one of a kind.
- Believing that work and Play are not meant to be separate spheres. They must be combined for better performance and better life.
- Knowing that being serious doesn’t mean you stop playing. One can be both.
- Reframing any situation to make it more interesting (strength-oriented), enjoyable, and engaging.
- Creating a joyful and safe environment to be playful without being judged. (Leads by example)
- Searching for as many opportunities to incorporate more Play into routine work to make it more productive, motivating, and fun.
- Understanding that teams work better together if they play together.
- Encouraging team members to be curious and take risks. There is no gain without Play.
- Welcoming openness, creativity, learning, and making mistakes for personal growth. (Time to play is time to learn)
- Praising the process, not only the result. Participation in the game is an objective by itself. (Stay in the game)
- Building trust through Play. Trust is key to enhancing engagement and authenticity.
Everyone can be a playful leader and an agent for change.
The feeling of great Playful leadership is best described by the words of Maya Angelou
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
