Every successful leader knows ongoing professional and personal development is the pathway to continued success. Which is why people pay big bucks to attend leadership workshops.
While it’s important that your workshop provides leaders with a new perspective on an old problem, there’s also fun to be had. Let these five leadership workshop activity ideas inspire you to strike the balance between strategy and play.
Leadership workshop idea #1: Leadership quotes
Post a variety of leadership quotes around the room. Have each participant stand by the one that speaks most to them, or shows their leadership values. Go around the room and have each person explain why.
This activity can jumpstart your participant’s creative juices at the beginning of the workshop.
Leadership workshop idea #2: Tallest tower
Provide a variety of items to build with (for instance toothpicks, newspapers, uncooked pasta, or wooden blocks). Split up participants into an even number of groups, then tell them that they must build the tallest freestanding structure from the provided items within the time allotted.
This activity encourages participants to work together as a team and use creative problem-solving.
Leadership workshop idea #3: Centre stage
Ask for four volunteers. One will play the role of a team member who has recently missed meetings or arrived late. The other three will each role play different leader styles (you can provide the personality trait for each persona to save time).
Gather the full group in a circle and place two chairs in the centre, then ask each leader to confront the team member in turn. After each scenario has been played out, ask the full group to comment on the different approaches — what worked, what didn’t? How would the “ideal” leader handle the situation?
This activity helps participants embrace healthy conflict and give valuable feedback.
Leadership workshop idea #4: Minefield
Create a 10’ x 10’ area on the ground with rope or tape (the starting size for a group of 12 people). Mark one side of the playing area as the starting line, then mark the opposite side for the finish line.
Next, create obstacles in the area by filling it with tennis balls or pieces of paper. 30 obstacles will provide a medium level of difficulty for most groups. Be sure to separate the obstacles in a way so there are no straight paths between them.
Once the minefield is set up, ask the group to split into pairs. In each pair, one person will be blindfolded and will be not allowed to see or talk. The other person is allowed to see and talk, but is not allowed to touch the other person or enter the minefield.
The goal is for each blindfolded person to carefully listen to the verbal guidance of their partners and safely avoid touching the mines as they cross the field towards the finish line. If anyone touches a mine, they must return to the starting line and begin again.
This activity helps participants sharpen their communication skills and promotes cooperation.
Leadership workshop idea #5: Magic carpet
Start with a small tarp or rug that allows all of your workshop participants to stand within its boundaries. Tell the group that they must now work as a team to flip the tarp or rug over without anyone stepping off. When a team member steps off the carpet, the group must start over.
This activity makes participants work together outside of their comfort zones.
Bring your leadership workshop ideas to life
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