When you sit down to play your favorite game, learning lessons about business and leadership are probably the furthest things from your mind. However, games can often teach us as much about how to conduct ourselves in different situations as reading a book or attending a lecture. If you’re an aspiring influencer or entrepreneur, several card games and board games can help you sharpen your skills.
Games often mimic real-life situations, requiring us to deal with complex problems and find practical solutions. At the same time, these games are so much fun that you may not even notice you’re picking up new techniques as you play. In this article, we take a look at some of the best games you can play to develop your leadership skills.
Poker
As one of the most popular card games in the world, chances are you’ve played poker more than a few times. Poker is more than a card game; it’s a skill-based game that requires concentration, strategy, problem-solving, and a thorough understanding of the rules. Becoming familiar with the rules of poker is one way to beat opponents and master life skills that can serve you away from the poker table.
Your objective when playing poker is to obtain the best hand or trick your opponents into thinking you do. Reading people is one of the most important skills poker teaches, and maintaining a “poker face” by not revealing any emotions is key to success playing poker. You have to play psychologist while sitting at the poker table to determine your opponent’s risk tolerance and demeanor to anticipate their next moves.
The ability to read people will also serve you well as a leader. Leaders need the ability to observe trends and patterns to assess potential clients before signing a contract and understand market conditions before investing. Learning poker can help you refine these skills in one of the most entertaining ways possible.
Monopoly
This classic board game is a game night favorite, with friends and family gathering around to see who can buy up the most land, utilities, and railroads while forcing their opponents into bankruptcy as part of the process. Although the game may sound cutthroat, it has entertained people worldwide for generations.
Monopoly teaches budding entrepreneurs and influencers an important lesson: how to stay positive in the face of defeat. After all, you may be losing the game, but if you strategize and are persistent, you can stage a major comeback. The ultimate goal is to buy and trade as many properties as possible and turn them into houses and hotels.
Collecting rent from your opponents and managing cash flow are two crucial components of the game. Ultimately, you want to eliminate any competition trying to enter your market. Monopoly teaches you to take calculated risks while thinking about how they’ll affect your finances and investment choices. These are skills all entrepreneurs need.
Euchre
Euchre is the first game on our list that requires teamwork to win. When playing this game, you’re paired with a partner, and your goal is to win at least three tricks. The suit’s Jack is the card with the highest value, and you and your partner have to maximize one another’s strengths to increase your chances of winning the game.
This game not only helps improve strategic thinking skills but also teaches you to be a team player. These two skills are indispensable to entrepreneurs, leaders, and influencers.
Cards Against Humanity
This popular party game is a favorite of game nights because it forces players to consider situations they may never think about and to think outside of the box. You’ll need a good sense of humor to play this game because many of the game’s scenarios border on the absurd.
However, its utility to entrepreneurs and leaders comes from its ability to push people beyond their comfort zone, something you’ll repeatedly face in business. The game is easy to play and allows you to explore the more entertaining side of life.
