Waiting For Wintergrasp: The Moment to Lead

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Waiting For Wintergrasp: The Moment to Lead

People need leaders. They want leaders. They hunger for leaders. In some cases, people are so desperate as a crowd for leadership that they’ll follow and even swear loyalty to terrible leaders, as long as they don’t have to take up the mantle of leadership themselves. Nowhere is this more apparent to thousands of people every day than in Lake Wintergrasp.

Archavon the Stone WatcherWhat’s this? If you don’t play World of Warcraft, it’s a really big competition between two teams to take control of a battlefield. Without getting too deep into the mechanics of Wintergrasp, suffice it to say that teams are organized in groups of 40 people, and at a certain point dictated by the game, everyone goes and tries to capture the objectives of the game.

What’s interesting to me as a marketer and student of behavior is what happens before Wintergrasp starts. See, the teams aren’t automatically formed by the game. Teams have to be organized by individual players, and that’s where things get interesting. Very, very few people want to take leadership of a team, even when there are no significant adverse consequences to doing so. Many people simply wait around, asking aloud to be invited to any open team if there is one.

Imagine what this is like – dozens, sometimes hundreds of people milling around looking for leadership. The instant someone forms a team and takes leadership, the entire crowd galvanizes. The team forms up and you’re ready to go within minutes.

What makes this important is that this is a human behavior. Forget for a moment that this occurs in a fantasy role playing game that’s traditionally (and incorrectly) associated with high school kinds and nerds living in parents’ basements. This need for leadership and simultaneous unwillingness to step into a leadership role is an opportunity for you, if you can overcome your own hesitation, to establish yourself in any industry, niche, market, or space.

People want leaders.

Is your marketspace crying out for someone, anyone, to take a leadership role and do something as simple as organize a team to accomplish a deed?

Are you looking to build your own personal brand or gain experience? Look for opportunities and marketspaces where people are just milling around, waiting for a leader, and step up. Take on the responsibility of providing leadership, and gain back what you give and more.

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Comments

20 responses to “Waiting For Wintergrasp: The Moment to Lead”

  1. Thank you for sharing. Insightful. Unfortunately there is only a small portion of people who are the “Directors”. Most personality types would rather be led. If we want our income to grow then the “Director” in us needs to step up to the plate and take charge!

  2. Thank you for sharing. Insightful. Unfortunately there is only a small portion of people who are the “Directors”. Most personality types would rather be led. If we want our income to grow then the “Director” in us needs to step up to the plate and take charge!

  3. This was one of the most interesting leadership posts I've read in a while (including ones I write). Nice job, looking forward to reading more.

    John
    http://johnfmoore.wordpress.com

  4. This was one of the most interesting leadership posts I've read in a while (including ones I write). Nice job, looking forward to reading more.

    John
    http://johnfmoore.wordpress.com

  5. Thank you for sharing. Insightful. Unfortunately there is only a small portion of people who are the “Directors”. Most personality types would rather be led. If we want our income to grow then the “Director” in us needs to step up to the plate and take charge!

  6. karmicangel Avatar
    karmicangel

    I was just IN Wintergrasp – I'm on Kul Tiras if you are ever on that server! On a more serious note, I could not agree more. Leadership seems to be missing in so many areas right now… everyone is scared and no one want to take the fall if their plan goes awry.

  7. karmicangel Avatar
    karmicangel

    I was just IN Wintergrasp – I'm on Kul Tiras if you are ever on that server! On a more serious note, I could not agree more. Leadership seems to be missing in so many areas right now… everyone is scared and no one want to take the fall if their plan goes awry.

  8. Love the WoW analogy Chris. I haven't played since they raised the level cap to 70 (thank god…was way to addicted). I've definitely seen this dynamic play itself out in companies, teams, and games alike.

    I think the difficult part once you figure out that you want to be a “director” (in Kim's comment) is to resist the urge to become a “dictator”. Yes, people want to be led but it needs to be done in the best way possible that benefits all of you.

    Bad leaders and good leaders come about through pvp battles. It's figuring out who the good ones are once the dust settles that really matters.

  9. Love the WoW analogy Chris. I haven't played since they raised the level cap to 70 (thank god…was way to addicted). I've definitely seen this dynamic play itself out in companies, teams, and games alike.

    I think the difficult part once you figure out that you want to be a “director” (in Kim's comment) is to resist the urge to become a “dictator”. Yes, people want to be led but it needs to be done in the best way possible that benefits all of you.

    Bad leaders and good leaders come about through pvp battles. It's figuring out who the good ones are once the dust settles that really matters.

  10. This was one of the most interesting leadership posts I've read in a while (including ones I write). Nice job, looking forward to reading more.

    John
    http://johnfmoore.wordpress.com

  11. karmicangel Avatar
    karmicangel

    I was just IN Wintergrasp – I’m on Kul Tiras if you are ever on that server! On a more serious note, I could not agree more. Leadership seems to be missing in so many areas right now… everyone is scared and no one want to take the fall if their plan goes awry.

  12. Love the WoW analogy Chris. I haven’t played since they raised the level cap to 70 (thank god…was way to addicted). I’ve definitely seen this dynamic play itself out in companies, teams, and games alike.

    I think the difficult part once you figure out that you want to be a “director” (in Kim’s comment) is to resist the urge to become a “dictator”. Yes, people want to be led but it needs to be done in the best way possible that benefits all of you.

    Bad leaders and good leaders come about through pvp battles. It’s figuring out who the good ones are once the dust settles that really matters.

  13. Chris,

    This is how I became the leader for what is New Media Cincinnati. No one else stepped up, so I finally did. It's been a great experience.

  14. Chris,

    This is how I became the leader for what is New Media Cincinnati. No one else stepped up, so I finally did. It's been a great experience.

  15. Chris,

    This is how I became the leader for what is New Media Cincinnati. No one else stepped up, so I finally did. It’s been a great experience.

  16. there are not many directors… thats problematic Computer Reparatie

  17. Chris,
    I love the WoW metaphor. Yes, people crave leadership, but shy away from it because a) there are risks involved and b) it takes hard work.

    A large part of why people don't want to “lead” in the large World of Warcraft groups is because it takes effort to invite folks, advertise that you're trying to get a group going, ensuing a proper mix of classes, etc. Same thing with creating a brand for yourself. It takes a lot of work!

    That said, it emphasizes your point that much more. Step into that leadership role, but you gotta be willing t o work for it.

  18. Chris,
    I love the WoW metaphor. Yes, people crave leadership, but shy away from it because a) there are risks involved and b) it takes hard work.

    A large part of why people don't want to “lead” in the large World of Warcraft groups is because it takes effort to invite folks, advertise that you're trying to get a group going, ensuing a proper mix of classes, etc. Same thing with creating a brand for yourself. It takes a lot of work!

    That said, it emphasizes your point that much more. Step into that leadership role, but you gotta be willing t o work for it.

  19. Chris,
    I love the WoW metaphor. Yes, people crave leadership, but shy away from it because a) there are risks involved and b) it takes hard work.

    A large part of why people don’t want to “lead” in the large World of Warcraft groups is because it takes effort to invite folks, advertise that you’re trying to get a group going, ensuing a proper mix of classes, etc. Same thing with creating a brand for yourself. It takes a lot of work!

    That said, it emphasizes your point that much more. Step into that leadership role, but you gotta be willing t o work for it.

  20. Chris,
    I love the WoW metaphor. Yes, people crave leadership, but shy away from it because a) there are risks involved and b) it takes hard work.

    A large part of why people don't want to “lead” in the large World of Warcraft groups is because it takes effort to invite folks, advertise that you're trying to get a group going, ensuing a proper mix of classes, etc. Same thing with creating a brand for yourself. It takes a lot of work!

    That said, it emphasizes your point that much more. Step into that leadership role, but you gotta be willing t o work for it.

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