If you have ever encountered a dedicated guild leader, it's not too surprising that some of these folks could effectively apply (or currently do apply) those leadership skills to the real world.

IBM and Seriosity recognize these talents in a new report. "What we've found is that success as a business leader may depend on skills as a gamer," said Jim Spohrer, director of services research, at IBM Research Center in Almaden, Calif. "Smart organizations are recognizing valued employees who play online games and apply their skills and experiences as virtual leaders to their 'real world' jobs."

IBM's Global Innovation Outlook and Seriosity found that collaboration, risk-taking and influence are just a few useful skills possessed by online gaming communities. These groups exercise skills in a highly-competitive environment--much like a real business.

From the report (which can be read in full here): "An increasingly large portion of game play is collaborative and strategic, and it requires sustained interactions with several players. The engagement of games and the lessons they foster may influence a new gamer generation to expect real work that better resembles the structure of complex play."