My podcast - Lead With a Dash of Play - was born of curiosity: does play have a place in the professional world? After 40+ interviews with CEOs, executives, and experts, I can say with certainty: play is a leadership skill.

My book is the extension of that realization.

And leadership is not just for business. Leadership is when we take the first step to connect with another person. Leadership is when we take a stand for what’s needed in the world. And yes, leadership is how we guide colleagues in the workplace, whether that is a school, a non-profit, a government agency, or a business.

In interviewing people for my podcast, I quickly learned about the variety of ways we play - our play styles and play personalities. Being able to draw on the lessons of all of those guests, with each person’s different sense of play, has been one of the things I’ve loved about writing this book.

With the current book campaign, it is my hope to build a community of people who believe joy should not be sidelined from work, who are tired of the burnout, stress, and uncertainty that seem to derail us from making the impact we are capable of, and who are open to leading differently in work and in civic society. Through the campaign, you will be able to connect with and help shape the ideas of the book before it gets to its final form.

Please share this email with anybody you think could use a little permission to play!

In my conversations with past podcast guests, a number have expressed curiosity about how I decided to organize the book. Here’s a sneak preview:

Act I: What is play? What blocks us from seriously considering play as a leadership skill?

This group of chapters lays a foundation and addresses misconceptions. Society tells us that play is for kids - that it doesn’t belong in the workplace - but that’s wrong: first, because it is part of being human; second because it is already there (in a toxic way if not in a positive way). But, you cannot lead with play until you know how you play. Play is a unique language for every person. Leveraging the enormous benefits that come with cultivating a playful spirit starts with knowing your own play personality and recognizing it in others.

Act II: Professional Spaces as Playgrounds

This collection of chapters is the heart of the book, and shows how play builds bolder, more human-centered, and more sustainable leadership. Play is not the opposite of work. Play enables better work. Play sparks movement in the face of chaos. When the stakes are highest, a "dash of play" is the most serious tool we have to unstick thinking and unlock new solutions. The chapters in this section fall into three sub categories:

• Human-Centered Leadership: how play facilitates deeper relationships, improves organizational culture, and cultivates learning environments.
• Bold Leadership: how play heightens curiosity and gives space to greater creativity, increases the ability to navigate uncertainty, and facilitates strategic thinking.
• Sustainable Leadership: how play helps us to continue leading despite the challenges thrown us by building restorative practices to prevent and recover from burnout.

Each of the chapters in this section include specific invitations to play - inspired by the invitations shared by podcast guests, my own workshops and imagination, and extended research and experiences.

Act III: Play Beyond the Office Doors

True leadership is the deliberate creation of space for others to thrive in their unique play. This is how you forge the deep connections that reshape our lives beyond professional workspaces. Just as we shouldn’t exclude play from professional spaces, we shouldn’t limit the leadership that comes from playful mindsets just to the office. The chapters in this section extend our understanding of the impact of play to how we reshape whole societies, rework our relationship with society, or recover from even the toughest moments in our lives.

Want more? Join the campaign. Your support and participation helps bring the book to life.

Thanks for being here,

Mary