Leadership Pizza Activity (With Variations & Debrief)

Do you want to conduct the Leadership Pizza Activity with your teams?

The Leadership Pizza offers a visual and engaging method. Based on the Wheel of Life coaching model, this exercise helps individuals reflect on their leadership abilities. It provides a clear snapshot of their strengths, along with areas for growth.

In this article, let’s see how to use this powerful tool with your team.

Here is an overview of the sections in this article:

• The main objectives of the Leadership Pizza activity.

• Five different variations of the exercise, including the classic version.

• Practical tips for facilitating a successful session.

• Frequently asked questions about the activity.

So, let’s get started!

Objective of the Activity

The Leadership Pizza activity is a simple yet profound exercise. It is designed to foster self-awareness among current or aspiring leaders. The main purpose is to help participants evaluate their capabilities across various leadership competencies.

Here are the key objectives of this engaging team exercise:

Promote Self-Reflection

The activity encourages individuals to pause and think deeply about their leadership style. By rating themselves on different skills, participants gain a clearer understanding of how they perceive their own performance. This personal insight is the first step toward meaningful professional development. It creates a foundation for identifying specific areas they wish to improve. This process helps them become more intentional leaders.

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

A primary goal is to create a visual representation of a leader’s skills. The completed “pizza” clearly shows which slices are full (strengths) and which are lacking (areas for improvement). This allows for a balanced assessment, celebrating what leaders do well while also highlighting where they can grow. Recognizing both strengths and weaknesses is crucial for well-rounded development. It helps leaders leverage their existing talents and focus their energy on skills that need attention.

Encourage Open Dialogue

This exercise serves as an excellent conversation starter. When conducted in a group, it opens the door for honest discussions about leadership. Team members can share their perspectives, offer feedback, and learn from one another’s experiences. This shared vulnerability builds trust and psychological safety within the team. It transforms individual reflection into a collective learning opportunity.

Facilitate Goal Setting

The Leadership Pizza is not just an assessment tool; it is a springboard for action. Once participants identify their development areas, they can set clear, achievable goals. For example, a leader who scores low on “Communication” might decide to take a public speaking course or practice active listening. The visual nature of the pizza makes it easy to track progress over time, turning abstract goals into tangible achievements.

Align on Leadership Qualities

The activity helps align the team on what constitutes effective leadership within the organization. By collectively deciding on the pizza’s “slices” or competencies, the group defines its shared values and expectations for leaders. This process ensures that everyone is working toward a common vision of leadership excellence. It fosters a consistent leadership culture throughout the team or company.

5 Variations of the Leadership Pizza Activity

Here are five variations of the activity you can adapt for your team’s specific needs.

#1. The Classic Leadership Pizza

This is the original version, focusing on individual self-assessment of core leadership skills.

Each person reflects on their own abilities and creates a personal leadership pizza. The goal is to provide a private, honest snapshot of their current skill level.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens, or a digital whiteboard template
Participants: 3-8 people per group

Instructions

• Draw a large circle and divide it into eight slices, like a pizza. Label each slice with a key leadership competency such as Communication, Decision-Making, or Empathy.

• Ask each team member to rate their proficiency in each area on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), with 10 being closest to the outer edge of the circle.

• Have them shade in each slice to the level of their rating, creating a visual representation of their leadership skills.

• Encourage participants to reflect on their completed pizza, noting their strongest areas and those that need development.

Debrief

• Which area of your pizza surprised you the most, and why?

• Based on your pizza, what is one skill you would like to focus on improving over the next month?

• How can the team support you in developing your chosen area?

#2. The Team Leadership Pizza

This variation shifts the focus from individual assessment to a collective evaluation of the team’s leadership.

Here, the participants work together to create a single pizza, representing the team’s combined leadership strengths. This promotes discussion about shared responsibilities and collective capabilities.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: A large whiteboard or flip chart, and markers
Participants: 3-8 people per group

Instructions

• Each team draws a large pizza on a whiteboard and labels the eight slices with agreed-upon leadership competencies.
• Within the team, discuss and rate performance for each competency, aiming to reach consensus on all scores.
• Shade the slices of the pizza based on the agreed ratings to visually represent the team’s performance.
• Compare and analyze the final pizzas across all teams. Discuss the patterns, differences, and areas for improvement.

Debrief

• What does this pizza tell us about our collective strengths as a team?

• Which slice represents our biggest opportunity for growth together, and why?

• What is one action we can take as a team to improve in our chosen development area?

#3. The 360-Degree Feedback Pizza

This version incorporates anonymous feedback from peers to provide a more rounded assessment.

Each participant receives a pizza that reflects how their peers perceive their leadership skills. This comparison between self-perception and peer feedback offers powerful insights.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Anonymous survey tool or small slips of paper, and pens
Participants: 3-8 people per group

Instructions

• First, have each participant complete a classic self-assessment pizza privately.

• Distribute blank pizza templates for each group member. Ask them to anonymously rate their peers on the same leadership slices.

• Collect the anonymous feedback and compile an “average” pizza for each individual, then share it with them privately.

• Provide time for individuals to compare their self-assessment pizza with their 360-degree feedback pizza.

Debrief

• Where did your self-perception align with the feedback from your peers, and why?

• What gaps between your view and others’ views were most interesting or surprising?

• How will this feedback influence your development goals?

#4. The Future Leader Pizza

This forward-looking activity helps participants envision the leader they aspire to become.

Instead of rating current skills, participants fill in their pizza based on the ideal skill level they want to achieve. This creates a motivational map for their leadership journey.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and markers
Participants: Pairs (Or small groups)

Instructions

• Ask participants to draw a pizza and label the slices with the leadership competencies they believe are most important for their future roles.

• Instruct them to shade each slice to the level of mastery they wish to attain, creating an “ideal” leadership pizza.

• Have them write down one to three actionable steps they can take to move from their current state toward this future vision.

• Encourage pairing up to share their future pizzas and their action plans with a partner.

Debrief

• What does your ideal leadership pizza say about your values and aspirations?

• If there is the biggest change between your current skill set and this future vision, what would that be? Explain why?

• What is the very first step you will take to start building this future version of yourself?

#5. The Project-Specific Pizza

This variation tailors the pizza slices to the specific leadership skills needed for an upcoming project.

Each team defines and assesses the leadership qualities crucial for the success of a particular initiative. It aligns them on leadership expectations before a project kicks off.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Whiteboard or digital collaboration tool
Participants: 3-8 people per group

Instructions

• Each team can start by brainstorming the unique leadership challenges of the upcoming project.

• Now, they can define and label the eight pizza slices with leadership skills critical for this project (e.g., Risk Management, Stakeholder Communication, etc.).

• Have each team rate its collective readiness for each of these project-specific competencies.

• Discuss the completed pizza, focusing on potential leadership gaps that could impact the project’s success.

Debrief

• Which leadership skill is your strongest asset for this project, and why?

• Where are you most vulnerable, and how can you mitigate that risk?

• What roles or actions can we assign to ensure we cover all necessary leadership functions for this project?

Tips for Successful Facilitation

Facilitating the Leadership Pizza activity effectively is key to its success. Your role is to create a supportive environment where participants feel safe to be honest. A well-run session can unlock valuable insights, while a poorly managed one can feel unproductive.

Here are some tips to help you guide the activity smoothly:

Establish Psychological Safety

The foundation of any reflective exercise is trust. Before you begin, set the ground rules. Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers. Explain that the goal is personal growth, not judgment. Remind everyone to respect each other’s privacy and share only what they feel comfortable sharing. This creates a safe space where participants can be vulnerable and honest with themselves and others.

Choose the Right Pizza Slices

The default slices (like communication or decision-making) are a great starting point, but they may not be perfect for every team. Customize the competencies to fit your team’s context. Before the session, you could brainstorm potential slices with the team or align them with your organization’s leadership framework. Using relevant slices makes the activity more meaningful and the insights more actionable for participants.

Clearly Explain the Scoring

Ambiguity can derail the activity. Be very clear about the rating scale. Explain what a “1” represents versus what a “10” represents. For instance, a “10” could mean “world-class mastery with no room for improvement,” while a “1” could mean “a significant development area with very little experience.” Providing clear benchmarks helps standardize the ratings and ensures everyone is using the same frame of reference.

Manage Time Effectively

Keep an eye on the clock to ensure the activity stays on track. Allocate specific amounts of time for each part: drawing the pizza, self-reflection, and group discussion. Announce time checks, such as “You have five minutes left for reflection.” This structure helps maintain momentum and ensures you have enough time for the crucial debrief session, where the most important learning often happens.

Guide the Debrief with Open-Ended Questions

The real value of the Leadership Pizza emerges during the discussion. Avoid simple yes-or-no questions. Instead, use powerful, open-ended questions to encourage deeper reflection. Questions like, “What surprised you about your pizza?” or “What story does your pizza tell?” prompt participants to think critically. Your role here is not to provide answers but to guide the conversation and help participants discover their own insights.

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Final Words

The Leadership Pizza activity is a versatile and powerful tool. It transforms the abstract concept of leadership into a tangible, visual exercise. Its simplicity allows for deep personal reflection and meaningful group discussions. Whether used for individual coaching, team development, or project planning, this activity helps people see their skills clearly. By fostering self-awareness and targeted goal-setting, it empowers leaders to take control of their growth journey.

FAQ: Leadership Pizza Activity

You might have these questions in mind.

What are the best leadership skills to use for the pizza slices?

The best skills depend on your team and organizational goals. Good starting points include Communication, Empathy, Decision-Making, Strategic Thinking, Delegation, and Feedback. For more tailored results, consider using your company’s official leadership values or brainstorming a list with your team before the activity.

Can this activity be done virtually?

Yes, the Leadership Pizza works very well in a virtual setting. You can use digital whiteboard tools like Miro or Mural, which often have “wheel” templates that can be easily adapted. Alternatively, participants can draw their pizza on paper and hold it up to their camera to share with the group.

How often should a team do this activity?

Doing the activity monthly or quarterly is a great way to track progress. It allows team members to see how their pizzas have changed over time as they work on their development goals. It can also be useful to run the activity at the start of a major project or when a new leader joins the team.

Is this activity only for managers?

No, this activity is valuable for everyone. It is great for current managers, aspiring leaders, and any team member who wants to improve their influence and personal effectiveness. Leadership is a skill set, not just a title, and this exercise helps anyone cultivate those skills.

What if participants are uncomfortable sharing their pizza?

Sharing should always be optional. The primary benefit comes from individual reflection. You can emphasize that participants do not have to show their pizza to anyone. Instead, you can guide the debrief with general questions like, “What is one theme you noticed?” to encourage discussion without requiring personal disclosure.

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