Learning Group Psychology, Leadership and Anxiety Coping by use of Fairy Tales as an Educational Guide

Abstract

Moxnes, P. Learning Group Psychology, Leadership and Anxiety Coping by use of Fairy Tales as Educational Guide. Nordic Psychology, 58, 5–21.

In this paper, some new ideas about how to learn about teamwork and leadership will be presented. The educational approach is based on the notion that fantasies come first, then facts. It is grounded in classic experiential teaching methodology but with the added dimension of merging exercises in management education with the narrative structure of folk tales and fairy tales. The experiences of teaching teamwork psychology described in this paper support the idea that learning by doing and learning by fairy tales offers a great chance of internalizing lasting knowledge that will affect the participants' leadership and group performances.