To be perceived as a serious leader during a corporate growth phase, Piera Gelardi hid her playful nature. This led not to professional success, but to burnout and misery. Reintegrating playfulness into her leadership restored her resilience, joy, and effectiveness, demonstrating that authenticity is key to sustainable leadership.
Many people don't see themselves as 'playful' because they narrowly define it as being silly. Piera Gelardi's framework of eight 'powers of play,' including the 'mundane alchemist' and 'curious quester,' offers a more inclusive definition. This allows individuals to recognize and cultivate their unique, authentic style of playfulness.
Organizational psychologist Mike Rucker suggests adults face a mental block, viewing fun as inappropriate. He advocates for 'story editing,' a psychological tool to consciously correct this faulty mindset. By reframing fun as a vital component of well-being, you can neutralize inhibiting beliefs and embrace it as radical self-care.
According to research cited by Mike Rucker, living a life of routine makes us perceive time as passing more quickly. The antidote is what he terms 'variable hedonics'—intentionally integrating a variety of different life experiences. This novelty slows down our perception of time, making life feel fuller and less fleeting.
Piera Gelardi's four-step 'P-L-A-Y' process (Pause, Lighten, Activate play powers, Yes and) provides a practical method for changing your mindset during stressful moments. It's not about changing the external situation but transforming your internal experience of it, as demonstrated in her airport security line example.
Not all leisure is created equal. Mike Rucker suggests categorizing activities as either an 'investment' (enriching you now and in the future, like planning a trip) or a 'cost' (time you'll never get back, like aimlessly scrolling social media). This mental model encourages more deliberate, enriching choices for your finite free time.