Flow, leadership and serious games – a pedagogical perspective

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline the relevance of flow, a core concept of positive psychology increasingly applied in leadership development and in serious gaming. The author presents an innovative simulation game designed to teach and train how to manage and lead people based on the principles of “flow-based leadership.” Design/methodology/approach This paper briefly describes the flow theory; it relates to leadership theory and why it is increasingly applied in the context of serious games. Then an extensive review and presentation of the features of an innovative serious gaming solution is presented to demonstrate that simulations are a fruitful area into which positive psychology and leadership science are being extended now. Findings Despite the growing market segment and various areas of training applications of serious games, very few games have been developed for leadership development. A detailed report presented the conceptual and practical aspects of such a new serious game. Research limitations/implications The author’s contribution did not focus on testing a particular framework nor did it aim at exposing new numeric data findings. Instead, the author presented an in-depth case study as an inspiration for future, similar developments. Also, research questions for future analysis of data collected during the leadership development game were outlined. Practical implications Readers were informed about a new, innovative serious game application, which is successfully used for leadership development, and in particular to teach the practice of flow-based management concepts. Social implications Flow is a concept applied in many fields of life such as sports, music, arts, recreation and work-life. The positive benefits of happiness, creativity, outstanding performance and joy can lead to a fulfilling life which is a paramount value, across all cultures globally. This leadership development game can be applied in other countries and cultures. As a result, the quality of leadership across various cultures can be improved. Researchers are invited to join the outlined new research network and program. Originality/value Flow theory is probably the best known concept of positive psychology across related scientific domains such as management, arts, sports, education and spirituality. Professor Csikszentmihalyi – a global figure head – laid the scholarly foundations decades ago, but now the concept is constantly evolving and being adopted into new and changing environments. This necessitates a review – such as this contribution – where the theoretical elements also apply in the new areas of application.