I AM MICHAEL or IN WHICH A CATCHY CATCHPHRASE GETS COINED

    I recently graduated from a university on the west coast and, like many English majors, work in the exciting retail field. An aspiring writer (hence the blog,) I absorb stories through the skin like a sponge and constantly read, watch movies, play games and write, write, write.
   
    One game I played nearly from release is World of Warcraft. I spent the vast majority of my time leading groups, whether quest groups, dungeons, raids or entire guilds. If a team formed to reach a goal, I guided them, usually with great success. I've had my failures too, and learned from those, so over my time playing WoW, I've collected many lessons to pass on to you, the aspiring leaders of the MMO community.

    This blog is not about how MMO leadership is like office management or is something you can slap on a resume without shame. Both these things are true, but I am here to teach the nitty-gritty of leadership, specifically in MMOs. I will discuss everything from improving personal gaming competence to putting groups together, to raid tactics to policy to discipline, all in practical, no-nonsense terms.

    The first no-nonsense thing I have to say is leadership should be rewarding and fun, period. If leading any group is making you miserable, filling you with self-doubt, and enabling unpleasant people to have fun at your expense, don't do it. I don't mean "don't lead," I mean "don't let leadership suck." This blog is about taking firm control of one's leadership style and becoming a figure of authority and respect without compromising all your free time.

    If you want to become the sort of leader who comes online mostly when you want, who holds attention when you need it, whose guildies trust your vision, then you must internalize one basic truth: If leadership must be rewarding and fun, people who choose to make it less rewarding and fun are not worth leading. To coin a catchy catchphrase, you can and must be TOUGH ON JERKS.

    You know who I mean. The selfish players, the rude players, who guild-hop without a second thought, who start drama, who have no perspective. The players who become crusaders against whatever guild "injustice" they currently feel victimized by, or who, when they hurt someone, say "it's just a game." A good leader need not take their crap, and if they are indeed a good leader, they have built a strong organization that can shed these creeps like a dog sheds fleas. The first step to building such an organization at all is to realize that no such group can exist without being tough on jerks.

    So I am here to teach you, my readers, how to be bold, competent, respected leaders for whom command is a reward and not a terrible burden. I am here to show non-leaders where their higher-ups are coming from, and how to best support them in their difficult jobs. And I am here to prove to players who are like me, who enjoy positive interactions and strong online friendships, that not only should you never let the bastards get you down, you can get the bastards down a bit, without becoming one yourself.

    Of course, any good authority figure leads by example, so if you want to be surrounded by competent players, you must be competent yourself. Our first series of lessons might seem like a big dollop of duh to many readers, but I think a truly awesome leader must become awesome at the game he plays.