{"id":751472,"date":"2026-11-05T03:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T00:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T03:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T00:20:26","slug":"stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop teaching leadership. Start letting people practise it"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aee8dafe3e39\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aee8dafe3e39\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/#Immersive_learning_not_gamification\" >Immersive learning, not gamification<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/#Why_it_matters_now\" >Why it matters now<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/#The_research_behind_it\" >The research behind it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/stop-teaching-leadership-start-letting-people-practise-it\/#What_leaders_should_do\" >What leaders should do<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.thenextweb.com\/2026\/11\/team-discussing-charts-office-chalkboard.avif\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p>Organizations are preparing a generation raised on digital <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> and interactive <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s to lead in a world of complexity. Yet many still train managers through presentations and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ed workshops. This is a costly mistake. If we want leaders who can navigate conflict, uncertainty, and human behavior, we must stop telling them how to lead.<\/p>\n<p>We must give them opportunities to practise it.<\/p>\n<p>I have spent decades exploring how emotional intelligence works in real situations. I believe leadership development is failing to keep pace with the people it needs to develop.<\/p>\n<p>Emerging managers are accustomed to exploring possibilities and testing decisions. They are used to learning from failure and adapting when circumstances change. Yet traditional training too often delivers predetermined answers. It measures success by attendance or course completion. Real workplaces demand something far more challenging.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Immersive_learning_not_gamification\"><\/span>Immersive learning, not gamification<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is not about adding points, badges, or competitions to existing courses. Gamification adds game-like rewards to an activity. Immersive learning goes further. It uses interactive scenarios, role-play, meaningful objectives, and decisions with consequences to develop practical skills.<\/p>\n<p>A corporate target becomes a quest. A key performance indicator becomes a challenge. It requires people to allocate resources, collaborate, assess incomplete information, and change direction when their first attempt fails.<\/p>\n<p>Consider a character whose special power is generating fire. Used carefully, it can solve a problem. Used recklessly, it destroys everything around it, including the people the character needs. Leadership strengths work the same way.<\/p>\n<p>Confidence becomes arrogance when unchecked. Analytical thinking becomes paralysis when taken too far. Empathy becomes avoidance when it prevents difficult conversations. Immersive scenarios allow people to discover these consequences before their behavior damages a real team.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_it_matters_now\"><\/span>Why it matters now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The need is becoming more urgent as AI transforms work. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harvardbusiness.org\/insight\/2026-global-leadership-study-research-findings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Harvard Business Impact\u2019s 2026 Global Leadership Study<\/a> found that 53% of respondents expected leaders to make greater use of AI in strategic decision-making this year. As these tools become more influential, leaders must become better at exercising judgment, understanding people, and taking responsibility for decisions.<\/p>\n<p>AI can analyze data and recommend actions. It cannot replace the human responsibility to understand how those actions affect others.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_research_behind_it\"><\/span>The research behind it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This approach has an academic foundation. A <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journal.seriousgamessociety.org\/index.php\/IJSG\/article\/view\/1159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">2026 study published in the International Journal of Serious Games<\/a> examined a live role-play simulation designed for school leaders. Feedback from 72 principals and vice principals highlighted opportunities to explore evidence-informed decisions through complex scenarios, feedback, and reflection. The findings support taking immersive learning seriously as a tool for leadership development.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers studying role-playing also use the term \u201cbleed\u201d. It describes how emotions, attitudes, and aspects of identity can spill over between a character and the person playing it. A <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.uu.se\/IJRP\/article\/view\/323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">2024 paper published in the International Journal of Role-Playing<\/a> offers a useful perspective on workplace learning. It explored how these experiences can influence a player\u2019s sense of self.<\/p>\n<p>Practicing assertiveness in a simulated conversation, for example, may help someone feel more prepared to speak up in a difficult meeting. Whether that confidence carries into the workplace depends on the individual and the learning environment. It also depends on opportunities to apply and reflect on the experience.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_leaders_should_do\"><\/span>What leaders should do<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Organizations that ignore this opportunity risk producing managers who can recite leadership principles but struggle when relationships become difficult. As AI takes on more routine work, these workplaces could become increasingly automated, impersonal, and disconnected from the people they serve.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations that embrace immersive development can create opportunities for teams to practise adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. Teams can also learn to value different personalities and cultural perspectives.<\/p>\n<p>I am in my late 60s. I believe experienced leaders have a responsibility to listen to younger managers rather than dismiss how they learn. If you lead an organization, stop treating immersive development as an optional experiment. Replace one conventional training session with a realistic simulation.<\/p>\n<p>Give participants conflicting priorities, limited information, and a difficult conversation to navigate. Let them try, fail, reflect, and try again. Then assess whether their behavior changes at work.<\/p>\n<p>We do not need to abandon established leadership principles. We need to stop teaching them in ways that leave people unprepared to use them. The future is human. As AI advances, our success will depend on empathy, emotional awareness, sound judgment, and meaningful interaction.<\/p>\n<p>The organizations that thrive will be those that teach people not simply to perform like machines, but to lead like humans.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/leadership-development-immersive-learning-practice\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Organizations are preparing a generation raised on digital technology and interactive games to lead in a world of complexity. Yet many still train managers through presentations and scripted workshops. This is a costly mistake. If we want leaders who can navigate conflict, uncertainty, and human behavior, we must stop telling them how to lead. We&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":751473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.thenextweb.com\/2026\/11\/team-discussing-charts-office-chalkboard.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-751472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/751473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}