Gaming Attitude Can (Sometimes) Equate to Leadership Potential, Work Ethics, and Personality
A colleague of mine (who happened to be a DoTA or Defense of the Anicents addict) once stated that people’s work ethics, leadership potential, and personality can be attributed to their DoTA playing styles. Of course, I didn’t agree outright until he gave me some examples of the theory put into work. He mentioned officemates and how they played, and how that relates to how they work. I figured what he said made sense, and I analyzed how it worked on my end as a gamer and as a game designer. Truth be told, I agree with my colleague’s accurate, albeit weird, theory.
So how does this theory work exactly? Well, consider myself as an example. When playing a game of DoTA, I usually stick to the characters I already know and rarely venture beyond my tried and tested builds. My character prefences are spammers, long range, and I have tanks as my least favorite types. I seldom select new characters but occassionally try new ones that feature skills that are already familiar. And when I do try new and unfamiliar characters, reults usually aren’t that favorable. Comparing this to how I work is simple. I am, for all intents and purposes, a pure game designer. I tried being a producer once, and that didn’t work very well (for me, for the project, and for the people I work with), it was my first time anyway. Learning is a process. You try, you fail, you learn (at least what not to do in the future). My experience as a producer was a learning process. I tried, I failed, and I learned not to be a producer in the future (hahaha), of course you can’t be good in everything you want to do. But as a game designer, I can pretty much do well each and every time I try to secrete creative juices out of my brain (when I really try ^_^). I thrive living in the world of imagination ruled by logic and dipped in hot fudge sundae.
In equating this theory with my friends and colleagues, it’s pretty much on the spot. I do have some examples I can give you. Some are a bit shameful and revealing. I just hope the people involved don’t read this. ^_^
I have a friend who’s good in what he does but lacks awareness and predicting potential problems with his work. When he plays DoTA, the same can be said. He’s relatively good in the character he’s using, but usually fails to realize that his character’s already being pummeled to death by a nearby tower. He also sometimes fails to see a red dot on the minimap that he just came across. Oh well.
The friend who proposed this theory also benefits from it. In-game, he emits a command aura that makes his teammates glow. He issues commands, sets plays and combos, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team, and leads the team to victory (most of the time). The only downside to his playstyle is his survivalistic tendency to leave teammates behind when his “death” counts hang in the balance. His common excuse in these kinds of scenarios is that “I couldn’t have done anything to save you anyway, so I won’t bother.” In real life, all of these gaming attitudes can be applied. He stepped up to be the lead of his department, he’s technically knowledgeable and steadfast in his craft. The last part of his gaming attitude that equates to real life, is his reluctance to spend any money either for his own or others’ well being. Typical (^_^).
You guys can add your own stories that equate to this theory, or you can add your own theories. Hehehe…
2 Responses to “Gaming Attitude Can (Sometimes) Equate to Leadership Potential, Work Ethics, and Personality”
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Isn’t it applicable to every other competitive team games that rely heavily on team cooperation?
In any case, Terrorblade FTW.
It is, I just used DoTA as an example. ^_^