Are you in search of some leadership styles activities and games for your employees?
Leaders are the architects of company culture and play a vital role in team success. So, understanding different leadership styles can have a profound impact on the workplace.
In this article, let’s explore 11 interactive games that mirror various leadership styles. These activities can help you and your employees grasp essential leadership concepts in a hands-on manner.
11 Leadership Styles Activities & Games
Here are some interactive games that can help your employees understand different leadership styles in a fun and engaging way:
#1. The Vision Quest
Objective: Hone visionary leadership abilities.
In this activity, the participants prepare and share their forward-looking aspirations for the team. If you are striving to make your employees a visionary, then this game is for you.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Any number of people in a group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups.
- Give each group some time to discuss and come up with a vision for their team’s future.
- Each group presents their vision in front of everyone else, and the other teams provide feedback and suggestions.
Debrief
- Which vision felt most compelling, and why?
- How well did the ideas reflect the team’s core values?
- What steps would make the chosen vision realistic to carry out?
You can also read: 16 Best Books on Leadership Styles
#2. Role Reversal
Objective: Build empathy for different leadership roles.
This exercise helps employees deepen their understanding and appreciation of different leadership roles.
Time: 1 day
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: 2 members per group
Instructions
- Instruct the team members to interchange their roles, responsibilities, and even desks for a day.
- Allow each member to perform tasks pertinent to the other’s role, documenting insights and challenges.
- Have them write a summary of their experience, focusing on new perspectives gained.
- After swapping back, each person can present their findings, highlighting how the experience could influence their own leadership style.
Debrief
- What surprised you most when you stepped into someone else’s role?
- Where did you notice the biggest gap between assumptions and reality?
- How might this experience shape the way you lead or support others?
You can also read: 10 Strengths Based Leadership Activities (With Debrief)
#3. The Scenario Workshop
Objective: Explore situational leadership.
This game is a great way to see situational leadership unfold as employees adapt their approach to fit the scenario. It is one of the amazing leadership styles games for your workplace.
Time: You decide
Materials: Scenario cards, and writing materials
Participants: Teams of 4 to 8 members
Instructions
- Give each team a unique scenario card illustrating a complex workplace challenge.
- Teams have some time to discuss and decide on the best course of action.
- One member records the team’s decision-making process and rationale.
- Afterward, teams present their solutions and the reasoning behind their choices.
Debrief
- How did your team decide which leadership approach fit the scenario best?
- What made your solution effective, or where did it fall short?
- In what ways could you apply this kind of adaptability at work?
You can also read: 10 Servant Leadership Exercises for the Workplace
#4. The Support Circle Simulation
Objective: Explore the essence of servant leadership.
In this activity, the team members take turns being the servant leader. This game highlights the importance of empathy, active listening, and support in effective leadership.
Time: You decide
Materials: Chairs arranged in a circle, and scenario cards
Participants: Any group size, with participants taking turns
Instructions
- Arrange chairs in a circle to encourage an atmosphere of equality and openness.
- Hand out scenario cards to each person depicting various workplace conundrums that require thoughtful support. For example, “A coworker is struggling with a personal issue and it’s affecting their work.”
- Each group member takes a turn as the ‘leader’ to demonstrate servant leadership by addressing the scenarios with empathy.
- The other members provide feedback on the ‘leader’s’ approach to problem-solving and empowerment.
Debrief
- When did the leader’s support feel most meaningful to the group?
- In what ways did empathy shape the response to each scenario?
- What could help you serve others more effectively in a leadership role?
You can also read: 10 Situational Leadership Activities for the Workplace
#5. Feedback Circle
Objective: Master supportive leadership through feedback.
This game encourages peer-to-peer discussions. It is about support, growth, and the positive impacts of supportive leadership.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Small groups or pairs
Instructions
- Pair up the participants or create small groups to foster a more intimate feedback environment.
- Ask the participants to share specific examples of supportive actions or moments where leadership was effective. For example, “I appreciated your supportive approach in our team meeting today.”
- Encourage participants to give and receive feedback with a positive and growth-oriented mindset.
Debrief
- How did receiving feedback affect the way you saw your strengths or blind spots?
- Which type of feedback felt most useful during this activity?
- What would help you give feedback in a more supportive way at work?
#6. The Strategy Game
Objective: Develop strategic leadership skills.
In this activity, teams compete to create winning strategies within specific limitations. Here strategic leadership meets creativity and resourcefulness.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: Scenario cards
Participants: 3-8 members per team
Instructions
- Divide the participants into competitive teams.
- Hand out scenario cards that lay out the context and constraints within which teams must operate. For example, “You are leading a team with a limited budget and resources. Develop a strategy to increase productivity by 50%.”
- Task each team with defining clear objectives and developing a strategic plan to achieve them.
- Allocate time for them to present their strategies and reasoning to the other groups.
Debrief
- What trade-offs shaped your team’s strategy the most?
- When the limits became clear, how did your plan change?
- Which part of the process would you rethink to make stronger decisions under pressure?
#7. The Puzzle Challenge
Objective: Reflect participative leadership.
Here teams come together to assemble a puzzle, symbolizing unity and collaboration. It showcases the essence of participative leadership, where every voice counts.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: A large puzzle (with easy or medium difficulty level)
Participants: 3-8 members per team
Instructions
- Divide the participants into teams.
- Provide each team with a section of the puzzle, ensuring that no two teams have overlapping sections.
- Task them with completing their respective sections within a specified time limit.
- Once completed, bring all the teams together to assemble the final puzzle.
Debrief
- Where did shared input make the biggest difference during the challenge?
- How did your team handle different ideas while working toward one goal?
- What would help everyone contribute more fully in the next round?
#8. Survival Simulations
Objective: Test transformational leadership in crisis.
In these simulations, teams must ‘survive’ with limited resources, inviting leaders to inspire and drive change during turbulent times.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: Survival scenarios with limited resources, such as a deserted island or post-apocalyptic world
Participants: 3-8 members per team
Instructions
- Present the survival scenario and allocate roles to each team member (e.g. leader, navigator, resource manager).
- Provide teams with limited resources to start with, and have them strategize how to utilize them effectively. For example, a map, food rations, and survival tools.
- Set a time limit for survival. Encourage teams to communicate and work together to overcome challenges and make tough decisions.
Debrief
- When did your team need to shift its strategy most during the simulation?
- What actions helped keep everyone focused on a shared goal under pressure?
- How could a leader turn a crisis like this into a chance for growth?
#9. The Innovation Tournament
Objective: Encourage innovative leadership.
This is a fast-paced innovation race against the clock. Here the teams brainstorm and bring new ideas to life.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: Teams of 3-6 members
Instructions
- Begin by presenting a common problem or theme for innovation. For example, improving team communication or increasing productivity.
- Give each team a set amount of time to brainstorm and come up with an innovative solution.
- Each team then presents their idea to the other teams, who give feedback and vote for the most promising solution.
- The winning team receives recognition and potentially gets to implement their idea within the company.
Debrief
- Why did one idea stand out as more innovative than the rest?
- How did your team’s openness shape the solutions you created?
- What new approach could you test in your work after this activity?
#10. The Values Alignment Exercise
Objective: Understand value-driven leadership.
This exercise reflects the significance of alignment and principle-based leadership. Here teams discuss and agree on core values to guide their decisions.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Teams of 3-6 members
Instructions
- Begin by presenting a list of values such as honesty, respect, collaboration, integrity, etc.
- Ask teams to discuss and select their top 3 values that they believe are essential for effective leadership.
- Once each team has chosen their values, have them compare with the other teams and discuss any differences or similarities.
- Encourage teams to reflect on how these values align with their personal beliefs as well as the company’s values.
Debrief
- Why do shared values matter when a team faces a tough decision?
- In what ways can a leader model the values the team chose?
- How might these values shape your choices at work as well as in daily life?
#11. The Ethical Dilemmas Discussion
Objective: Examine ethical leadership under pressure.
In this activity, teams confront challenging scenarios requiring ethical decision-making, emphasizing the role of integrity in leadership.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Scenario cards
Participants: Teams of 3-6 members
Instructions
- Present each team with a set of scenario cards depicting various ethical dilemmas. For example, if you choose to lie to protect a colleague, what consequences may arise?
- Ask teams to discuss the scenario and come up with a solution that aligns with their chosen values. Set a time limit for this.
- Once the time is up, have each team present their scenario and propose a solution to the other groups.
- Encourage open discussion and debate on each scenario, exploring different perspectives and potential consequences of each solution.
Debrief
- How can ethical leadership shape trust over time?
- What did your discussion reveal about handling difficult moral choices?
- In the long term, how might one decision affect a leader’s reputation?
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Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?
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Final Words
Effective leadership relies on a strong foundation of shared values, ethical decision-making, and open communication. Through interactive activities, you can cultivate a culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability in your organization. So, let us lead with purpose, inspire with passion, and empower for impact. Remember, the journey toward effective leadership never truly ends – it’s an ongoing process that requires constant reflection and improvement.