ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the social values of game playing and considers the implications this has for the games leader. It focuses on one aspect of game playing: the impact that games have on individuals for learning about themselves and others. In contrast to passive amusement, the paper also focuses on doing, sensing and solving – processes which engage people toward discovery and re-creation. The development of individuals as skilled leaders is a lifelong endeavour, in which momentary pauses of self-satisfaction give way to more exposed areas of inadequacy and desire for growth. A personal file of games with comments on how they were played and how they were received by different groups can be a helpful aid in improving leadership skills. Knowing which play materials to choose to help people experience themselves in new ways and which to use for the various stages of a group's development is less frequently discussed in leadership manuals.
