The Inadvertent Construction of Leaders in Digital Games

This in-progress qualitative study examines whether leadership roles in digital games offer a pathway to leadership development for women, non-binary individuals, and people of color, who often do not perceive themselves as natural leaders. The central question is whether the virtual nature of game communication creates opportunities for these minority populations to grow as leaders, and whether leadership skills gained online transfer to offline professional life. The research draws on semi-structured interviews with 20 leaders, combining interviews conducted for earlier projects between 2015 and 2023 with follow-up interviews in 2024. Participants held guild and raid leadership in World of Warcraft, CEO and fleet command roles in EVE Online, and clan leadership in Clash of Clans, and the data was analyzed through categorization analysis and grounded theory.

The findings center on three recurring themes. First, many participants did not seek leadership and felt pushed into it through in-game performance or the sudden departure of a predecessor, sometimes while concealing their gender from guild members. Second, participants reported stress and being undercut by other members, with most having already left their leadership roles by the time of interview, often citing burnout. Third, participants came to recognize the value of their labor after the fact, with many subsequently taking on leadership positions in other organizations, both in games and in offline work.

The study concludes that the "forced" nature of digital leadership, while costly to individuals, may produce social benefits by developing leadership skills and encouraging leadership-seeking behavior among players from varied backgrounds. Participants frequently reported that skills from their gaming roles, such as in-game management, were relevant to offline managerial and educational work.