GM: Table Leader

[payn]

As others have said, yes, and a good leader delegates. I do think there needs to be better guidance and products for beginning GMs. Organized play is good both AL and PFS for this. Though, some more entry level modules and beginner boxes would certainly be welcome.

 

[Professor Murder]

Since many seem to agree with the idea that the GM is in some way a table leader, I do wonder if part of GM outreach/education should involve teaching leadership skills.

 

[Darth Solo]

It would help if sites like this had a stand-alone forum just for GMs so the skills associated with running campaigns could be passed on. Instead there's a terrific amount of talk ABOUT GMs and how terrible they are and what they're expected to do BUT where's the forum that empowers the so-called TTRPG "leaders"?

 

[bloodtide]

Since many seem to agree with the idea that the GM is in some way a table leader, I do wonder if part of GM outreach/education should involve teaching leadership skills.

The thing is this is talking about real life leadership skills, not game mechanics. It's about how to deal with and control any social environment, not just a game table.

That's all a bit much for a game book.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Ideas explored in another thread gave me a thought.

Do you view being a GM as a "leadership" position?

I think it is often forced into this roll.
Examples:
GM is often the primary party for rules knowledge.
GM is often the primary rules teacher.
GM as provider of gaming location.
GM has to figure out the schedule.
GM has to be the "bad guy" and pull the game back on track when things devolve into pop culture callbacks.

Many of these and other "background" tasks (arranging food for example) should be delegated more often.

I honestly think that having to do so much in addition to devising and running the game is a factor in the GM shortage.

Thoughts?

Heard of the concept of 'servant leadership'? Yeah, that's exactly what a GM is. If they lead, it is by serving and providing examples, assistance, and advice, and by handling things that require handling but cannot be dealt with by the players, or which would make the game less fun. It is a bit like being a SCRUM master...

 

[Blue]

Do you view being a GM as a "leadership" position?

I think it is often forced into this roll.
Examples:
GM is often the primary party for rules knowledge.
GM is often the primary rules teacher.

These are SME (Subject Matter Expert) roles. They are leadership roles.

GM as provider of gaming location.

I find this to be less and less true, but that's a host role.

GM has to figure out the schedule.

This count, and is commonly the GM.

GM has to be the "bad guy" and pull the game back on track when things devolve into pop culture callbacks.

Eh, everyone can and does do this. "Let's get back to play" can be uttered by anyone

Many of these and other "background" tasks (arranging food for example) should be delegated more often.

I honestly think that having to do so much in addition to devising and running the game is a factor in the GM shortage.

Thoughts?

Looking at the game I play in weekly. The DM isn't the rules expect (I am), and he leans on me and expects me to pipe up. With the one new player it was the players who sat on either side of him (and that changed weekly) who helped him so he'd be ready - and it also didn't slow down play. We play at the (huge, beautiful) common area that comes with two player's apartment. If people want food their either show up with it or order it. And the DM is just as likely to break out in-joke and references as anybody else at the table.

I think these used to be more true years ago, but between both more players looking for DMs than DMs looking for players, and more groups with rotating DMs, these have faded a lot.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Since many seem to agree with the idea that the GM is in some way a table leader, I do wonder if part of GM outreach/education should involve teaching leadership skills.

I recommend Xtreme Dungeon Mastery (XDM) by Tracy & Curtis Hickman. I have been GMing for more than 3 decades and it didn't miss much of anything I currently do, and it provides a ton of theory and alternate approaches that I could use if my current group's make up changed.

There were some visualization tricks for planning encounters I might try to see if it saves me time during game prep over my techniques.

 

[aramis erak]

Ideas explored in another thread gave me a thought.

Do you view being a GM as a "leadership" position?

I think it is often forced into this roll.
Examples:
GM is often the primary party for rules knowledge.
GM is often the primary rules teacher.
GM as provider of gaming location.
GM has to figure out the schedule.
GM has to be the "bad guy" and pull the game back on track when things devolve into pop culture callbacks.

Many of these and other "background" tasks (arranging food for example) should be delegated more often.

I honestly think that having to do so much in addition to devising and running the game is a factor in the GM shortage.

Thoughts?

Well, the skills I learned GMing made me a pretty good elementary teacher... Classroom management and GMing overlap quite a bit.

 

[Professor Murder]

Well, the skills I learned GMing made me a pretty good elementary teacher... Classroom management and GMing overlap quite a bit.

As a college prof, I agree.

 

[Umbran]

Do you view being a GM as a "leadership" position?

A lot of people seem to like to take the role that way. I personally prefer to take it more as a service position.

Examples:
GM is often the primary party for rules knowledge.
GM is often the primary rules teacher.
GM as provider of gaming location.

None of these are about leadership, to me.

GM has to figure out the schedule.
GM has to be the "bad guy" and pull the game back on track when things devolve into pop culture callbacks.

These might be leadership actions.

A leader has three basic things they need to do: guide strategic decision-making, delegate authority to the right people, and inspire others to engage.

Note that none of those are about being a "final decision maker" - matching "leader" to "highest authority" actually misses most of what makes good leaders what they are.