“if we want to make it safely and sanely through all the changes coming our way, we’re going to need to come out and play” – Bernie DeKoven
Play is, perhaps more than anything, a fundamental source of fun, joy and well-being throughout our lives. It’s not reserved for children, and it’s not a luxury or something we do, when every other need is satisfied. On the contrary, it’s an “underlying, always there, continuum of experience” (Richard Schechner).
Playful leadership then becomes a matter of cultivating playful mindsets and playful culture. As such, a playful leader is a leader, who not only accepts, but actively supports a playful culture.
Why would you do that?
Play opens up an organisation to the world, and it can’t be controlled. In play, we embrace the unpredictable. “When we adopt a playful attitude, we’re more open to a diverse, even divergent, set of possibilities” (Herminia Ibarra). We accept that the world is complex and chaotic, and we increase our ability to navigate this complexity. Quite often, play does not have a clear and pre-determined outcome, and if there is a goal, we usually don’t know how to get there. The playful leader may be the one proposing a vision and a direction for the organization, but it can never be set in stone. As an integral part of play, we engage in a constant movement, and an ongoing negotiation of rules, goals and meaning. Play challenges existing hierarchies and power structures, as everybody playing is part of this negotiation.
When you’re a playful leader, you are able to instill a the people around you with the courage to experiment, and to take steps into the unknown, to break free from patterns and habits. In play, anything is possible. The entire world could be different. Your imagination is set free, your creativity runs wild, and your most crazy ideas may be the most meaningful ones. You take risks, and sometimes you end up in unexpected and perhaps even controversial territory. This creates a “friction” between us and the world, which generates questions. It’s a particular sort of “Verfremdungseffekt”, where we see the world “through the lens of play, to make it shake and laugh and crack because we play with it” (Miguel Sicart).
In this process, we connect with each other in new ways, be it friends, colleagues or strangers. Play is an act of expression and communication. We can play with our relationships, roles and our identities, and we can develop our empathy by adopting new perspectives on the word, just as “playfulness may serve as a lubricant in productive work-relations” (Proyer & Ruch).
…and these are just some of reasons, why I think we should do much more to explore and adopt more playful approaches to leadership.
Would you care to share your thoughts in the comments?
Mathias Poulsen
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Hi Mathias – I am intrigued by the concept of playfulness – not only in leadership/ the workplace but also in a setting such as our Health and special ed system. Imagine a playful, investigative positioning of patients and special ed students? But that’s just a hobby horse of mine (but seriously – think about it).
For me the whole playfulness is all about reciprocity. You cannot play or be playful unless you are truly and geniunely open towards the other. The playful relation is respectful and responsive by nature. It is also agile – the participants await the move of the other players – and are committed to responding in ways that benefit the purpose.
I think playfulness can be an important cornerstone in tomorrow’s leadership.
If we nurture playfulness in organisations, if leaders dare to be playful, we will first and foremost become happier, more inventive, and – very important – more resilient.
The playful organisation is not afraid of failure. Trial and error/experimentation is an intrinsic part of play. There is no fear of change. Change, development and responsiveness is at the very heart of play.
The world, business is changing at accelarated pace. Complexity is growing exponentially. The playful organisation embraces this and takes it on.
I love your thoughts. I would love if we could translate them into a language that businesses understand. Maybe we should help each other?