Everybody’s talking about “gamification” these days. Consultants are popping up everywhere, bringing badges and gee-gaws and plenty of software that will help you turn work into a game and make it fun. If you’re a boss, you know that if your work is a game, it more like a Tough Mudder than it is like bridge. And the important rewards are internal.

Being a boss is a team sport. You’ve got to help each other over the obstacles and encourage each other when times are hard. Nobody wins unless the team wins.

Being a boss means you’re the coach. Part of your job is helping the other team members succeed.

There are no timeouts in the Boss Game. You’ve got to learn on the fly and adjust on the fly.

There are no trophies, badges or fancy belts in the Boss Game. You or the team might get something for a specific achievement, but most of the time, great performance is just what’s expected.

Boss’s Bottom Line

Great bosses know that the important rewards that come from the Boss Game are intrinsic.