The DeanBeat: Put the gamers in charge of … everything

Microsoft made a rare move last week when it put Phil Spencer — a gamer, a gamemaker, and a game leader — in charge of its Xbox business. That was the way that the Xbox division began almost 15 years ago, and that’s the way it should be.

Spencer has been at Microsoft for 26 years, starting as a programming intern. He helped make games such as Fable and Rise of Nations. He loves titles like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, one of the top indie hits from last year. He has gaming in his blood, like Ed Fries, the original head of Microsoft’s game business and the man who brought Spencer into Microsoft’s game division. I would argue that this is one case where it makes sense to put a gamer in charge of the whole thing and that, in many leadership decisions, you won’t go wrong if you do.