The Games We Play

Daily Creative with Todd Henry

In today's episode of Daily Creative, we dive into the fascinating world of games and their impact on our creativity, leadership, and everyday life. Neuroscientist and physicist Kelly Clancy, author of "Playing with Reality," shares profound insights into how games have shaped our world and our thinking.

Kelly reveals how play is hardwired into our biology and explores its crucial role in learning, social development, and strategic thinking. She provides vivid examples from tech leaders and businesses, illustrating how game design principles can apply to leadership and incentivizing desired behaviors. Finally, we discuss misaligned incentives in organizations and how to create environments where creativity and strategic thinking can thrive.

Key Learnings:

1. Games and Fairness: The story of the Patriots fan underscores the complex nature of fairness in games and life and invites us to question the rules we follow.
2. Biological Roots of Play: Play is an evolutionarily ancient behavior essential for learning, social skills, and dealing with uncertainty.
3. Games in Technology: Many influential tech leaders began by designing games, highlighting the value of games in developing problem-solving and systems-level thinking.
4. Incentive Alignment: Misaligned incentives within companies can lead to undesired outcomes and employee frustration. Effective game design can help correct this.
5. Resourcing Creativity: Brave leadership involves providing the necessary resources and space for teams to thrive, pushing back against unrealistic expectations that stifle innovative work.

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