Level Up Your Leadership Game: Lessons To Learn From Candy Crush

Leaders aren’t born, they’re made, this is the basis of the modern leadership movement. The art of leadership, like all cultivated skills, is learned and honed over time. Be it real-life examples or a simple game of Candy crush, the fact that even the most personable and engaging leaders can learn leadership lessons from these cannot be denied. While we were engrossed in crossing the Bubblegum Bridge, climbing the Chocolate Mountains or just jumping levels in the Candy Factory, Candy Crush was teaching us some major Leadership Lessons. Candy Crush, a basic 3-match game with 1000+ levels and over 92.3 million players, is highly addictive and competitive. So, can a simple mobile game teach us about leadership? The simple answer to it is yes. Here are the 8 major Leadership Lessons that Candy Crush tells us about:

The 3 Winning Candies

No matter how counter-intuitive it might seem but Candy Crush is very similar to chess. As you move levels, success is achieved by proper strategy and not luck. Candy Crush teaches us Patience, Persistence & Focus: the 3 skills required to succeed in the game as well as in the workplace. A move made in the beginning might eventually help you win the game. Similarly in a workplace, the time invested in training, building relations and learning will be fruitful in the future. It is patience that helps leaders build strategies to succeed. Where patience pays off in the long run, Persistence is what keeps us going. One might fail multiple times both in the game and at work. What sets a leader aside is their determination to not give up. In the game, if you are not aware of the goal, you not only lose chances but also time. Likewise in an organization, if the lead is unaware of the objectives, it results in a waste of effort, time and capital. Hence, a leader must always focus on the objective otherwise both patience and persistence would be futile.

Know Your Candies & Your Employees

Imagine having that super candy that lets you win without wasting much time or moves. Now imagine not using it because you were unaware of its quality. Not only is it a waste of resources but also a major loss on your part. A similar scenario occurs when a leader is unaware of the employees’ potential at work. Each candy has it’s own traits, be it the simple striped one or the ultimate color bomb, being acquainted with these gives you an upper hand. Similarly, recognizing people, identifying their skills and building them is an advantage for a manager. Moreover recognizing the person for the task at hand saves time and helps meet objectives faster.

Bigger The Achievement, Sweeter The Reward

As you move up, Candy Crush not only recognizes your achievement but rewards you for the same. Be it a simple lollipop hammer or the ultimate treasure chest, these special rewards are what make it interesting and engaging. Even at work, being recognized for their accomplishments encourages employees to put in more effort to attain the objective and inclines them to stay. Rewards not only ignite interest but also helps people in achieving their future goals. Leaders who acknowledge people and their skills are looked up to by many.

Share The Load, Win The Candy

Can a level be approached keeping in mind several different strategies and still succeed? The answer to this is Yes. Similar to chess, the hurdles in Candy Crush can be tackled in multiple ways. There is a probability that someone else has a better strategy for the game than you do. This is where teamwork can be helpful. Even though the game teams you up anonymously, you can still learn something better every time and have fun. Likewise, in an organization success is defined by how effectively you function in a team. Working in a team allows us to know other employees better and learn from them in fields they are good at. A leader should always be a team player and should encourage others to be a part of the team.

Take That Risk

You might not always be aware of the obstacles that lay ahead. But this should never obstruct the progress. At times, in the game, there are mystery blocks that uncover over time. Even though what lays behind(good or bad) is unknown, players still take the risk and move ahead. At work, similar scenarios occur with new technology, expansion, process changes, etc. The effect of these is not known and shall be uncovered only later. This is where that risk-taking attitude pays off. Taking risks lets you evolve over time, meet objectives and achieve goals. A leader should always be ready to take the risk when required and prioritize work to succeed. Effective leaders have the capacity to inspire audiences and empower their employees. Implementing major lessons such as patience and persistence and building up great strategies lets you grow and be a better leader. A great leader focuses on his employees and sets examples for them by successfully handling risks. Now popping jellies not just lets you move up levels, it also helps you climb the leadership ladder and enhance your productivity. These were just 5 lessons Candy Crush teaches you.