Are you in search of some survival leadership activities?
In today’s unpredictable corporate landscape, effective leadership is paramount for driving success and ensuring the survival of any organization. But what does it take to be a truly exceptional leader? It goes beyond mere management skills – it requires resilience, adaptability, and the ability to navigate through challenges.
In this article, let’s see 10 survival games you can implement in the workplace for leadership development. These activities can foster teamwork, enhance problem-solving abilities, and instill a sense of accountability among your employees.
What are Survival Leadership Activities?
These are interactive exercises designed to mimic high-pressure situations or challenges that one might face in the real world. These activities push leaders and their teams to think critically, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively under resource constraints.
From navigating simulated disaster scenarios to solving complex puzzles as a team, these activities offer a hands-on approach to leadership development. They force leaders to confront their limitations, learn from their mistakes, and emerge stronger to guide their teams through any crisis.
Benefits of Incorporating Survival Leadership Activities in the Workplace
Integrating survival leadership activities into your team’s routine has numerous benefits:
Safe Experimentation: These activities offer a risk-free environment for leaders to try different strategies and learn from outcomes.
Experiential Learning: They facilitate personal and professional growth through hands-on experiences.
Team Cohesion: Working through challenges together strengthens bonds, builds trust, and enhances communication within the team.
Insight into Strengths and Weaknesses: These games reveal individual and collective strengths while highlighting areas for improvement.
Adaptability and Resilience: Simulating stressful scenarios helps teams remain calm under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.
Essential Skills for Business: These games promote skills necessary for thriving in today’s volatile business environment, where change is the only constant.
10 Survival Leadership Activities for the Workplace
Here are some survival leadership activities that you can conduct in your workplace.
#1. Desert Island Scenario
In this activity, employees collaborate to select essential items from a list to survive on a desert island. It emphasizes prioritization and decision-making skills.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: A List of imaginary items like food, water, knife, etc.
Participants: 3-6 people per group
Instructions
- Provide a list of 15-20 items to each group. Ask each person to individually select their top five choices assuming they need to survive on a desert island.
- Let them share those selections with the group and discuss the reasoning behind each choice. For example, one might choose a knife for its versatility, while another might prioritize a water purifier for survival.
- Each group should negotiate and agree on a final list of five items, considering everyone’s input.
Debrief
During the debrief, figure out how group dynamics influenced decision-making and what strategies were most effective in reaching a consensus. Reflect on how prioritization impacted the final item selection.
#2. The Stress Test
This exercise replicates a high-pressure scenario where teams must accomplish tasks within strict time limits, assessing their ability to handle stress and work efficiently.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Task cards and timers
Participants: Groups of 3-6 people
Instructions
- Assign each team a challenging task such as creating a quick presentation or solving a series of puzzles with only a 10-minute deadline.
- Introduce unexpected obstacles during the task like a sudden shift in objectives or additional tasks.
- Observe the team dynamics, noting the strategies employed to manage stress and adhere to deadlines.
- After finishing, each team evaluates their performance, identifying successful strategies and areas of failure.
Debrief:
Discuss the resilience and adaptability of teams under pressure. Identify effective stress management techniques and areas for improvement. This is crucial for guiding future performance in high-pressure situations.
#3. Escape Room Challenge
This activity is a simplified escape room where participants solve clues and puzzles within a set time. It enhances problem-solving and collaboration.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Clue cards, puzzles, and a timer
Participants: 4-8 members in a group
Instructions
- Divide participants into teams. Next, provide each with a set of clues and puzzles.
- Explain the objective: solve all the puzzles within the time limit assuming the team needs to “escape” from a locked room.
- Offer hints if the teams are stuck, but limit them to encourage problem-solving. Use a timer to keep track of the remaining time and create urgency.
- Finally, the team that solved more puzzles within the time wins.
Debrief
Discuss how the teams communicated and collaborated to solve puzzles. Reflect on the strategies that worked well and areas for improvement.
#4. Plane Crash Survival
This is a game where employees strategize to survive the aftermath of a plane crash by securing shelter, food, water, etc., and signaling for rescue.
Time: You decide
Materials: Scenario cards, survival items list, and a timer
Participants: 4-10 individuals per group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups. Provide each group with a scenario card and a list of survival items.
- Groups must prioritize and select the items they deem necessary for survival, explaining their choices. For example, choosing a flare gun over a fishing rod if signaling for rescue is prioritized.
- Set a timer for each group to present their survival plan to the others.
Debrief
Discuss the effectiveness of chosen strategies and the reasoning behind prioritizing certain items. Reflect on how teamwork and decision-making impacted the group’s survival plan.
#5. Toxic Waste Game
This activity is focused on transporting a “toxic waste” bucket safely. It enhances collaboration and problem-solving skills.
Time: You decide
Materials: One bucket, ropes, and small balls to simulate toxic waste
Participants: Teams of 4-10 members
Instructions
- Start by marking a circle (8 feet in diameter), symbolizing a toxic zone. Then, place a bucket filled with small balls (toxic waste) in the circle’s center.
- Mark another circle (representing a safe zone) a certain distance away from the toxic zone.
- Ask each team to move the bucket to the safe zone without spilling or entering the toxic zone. Provide them with ropes to maneuver the bucket from a distance.
- Set a time limit for the task to increase the challenge and encourage strategic planning. Example: Use ropes to lift and balance the bucket, coordinating as a team to move it across the designated area.
Debrief
During the debrief, discuss the strategies that worked and the leadership roles that emerged. Reflect on how communication and teamwork influenced the outcome.
#6. Lost at Sea
Lost at Sea is a survival activity where participants rank items in order of importance after a shipwreck.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: List of survival items
Participants: Groups of 3-8 people
Instructions
- Each group receives a list of items and ranks them based on their importance for survival. For instance, some items that could be included in the list are a compass, map, lighter, first aid kit, fishing net, water purifier, etc.
- Encourage reasoning for each choice, considering factors like immediate needs and long-term survival.
- Compare group rankings with expert opinions to see how they align. Example: Decide whether a fishing net is more critical than a water purifier and explain why.
Debrief
During the debrief, employees should reflect on their decision-making process and the importance of collaboration. Discuss how differing perspectives can lead to a more comprehensive survival strategy.
#7. Minefield
In this game, a blindfolded person navigates a “minefield” of objects guided verbally by their partner, focusing on communication and trust.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Blindfolds, and various soft objects to create a “minefield”
Participants: Pairs
Instructions
- Set up a “minefield” using objects scattered across the room. The objects can be cushions, small toys, plastic bottles, etc.
- One team member wears a blindfold and navigates the”minefield” with the help of their partner.
- The guiding partner cannot physically assist; they must use clear, concise verbal instructions. Example: “Take two steps forward, then turn right.”
Debrief
Discuss how effectively communication was used and the level of trust established between partners. Reflect on any challenges faced and how they were overcome.
#8. Budget Balancing Beatdown
This activity encourages employees to evaluate the financial risks within a company. It provides a practical approach to understanding budgeting, cost reduction, and strategic planning.
Time: You decide
Materials: Company financial reports
Participants: Any number of individuals per group
Instructions
- Provide each group with a simplified version of a company’s (or your organization’s) current financial report.
- Task each group with developing a feasible plan to reduce the company’s debt or costs within a set timeframe.
- Encourage groups to explore various cost-cutting measures and strategies to boost revenue.
- Have each group present its plan. They should explain the reasoning behind their choices and the anticipated impact on the company’s debt.
Debrief
Facilitate a group discussion to reflect on the different strategies proposed. Encourage the participants to consider their financial strategies’ potential short-term and long-term effects on the company’s overall well-being.
#9. The Human Knot
In this activity, participants form a circle, interlock hands across the circle, and collaboratively untangle themselves without releasing their grip. It enhances teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: 6-10 individuals in a team
Instructions
- Ask each team to stand in a circle.
- Have everyone reach across to grab the hands of two different people. Ensure that no person is holding the hand of someone directly next to them.
- They should work together to untangle the human knot without letting go of each other’s hands.
Debrief
Discuss how communication and teamwork contributed to solving the problem. Reflect on strategies that worked well and how they can be applied to real-life teamwork situations.
#10. Time Crunch Rescue
The activity simulates a high-pressure situation where a team must decide on the best course of action to ensure everyone’s safety.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: A list of critical tasks written on paper or a whiteboard
Participants: 4-8 people in a group
Instructions
- Explain that the group is in a wilderness area with an approaching storm and has 10 minutes to complete critical survival tasks.
- Present a list of critical tasks to each group. For instance, the tasks can be:
Building a shelter
Finding food
Signaling for help
Setting up a lookout
- Select a leader to coordinate task assignments and execution. The leader assesses team members’ skills and assigns tasks to ensure all are covered.
- Team members discuss and plan how they would perform their tasks. The leader monitors progress and offers support as needed.
Debrief
Figure out how effectively the team managed time and assigned tasks. Also, evaluate the leadership strategies used. Reflect on what strategies led to successful task completion and team coordination.
How to Choose the Right Survival Game for Leadership Development?
When choosing the right survival game for leadership development, it’s important to consider the specific skills and qualities you want to cultivate in your employees. Look for activities that encourage effective communication, strategic planning, and task delegation as these are essential for successful leadership.
Additionally, consider the size of your group and the time constraints you have available. By selecting the right survival game, you can create a valuable learning experience that promotes teamwork and problem-solving skills among your employees.
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Final Words
Integrating survival leadership activities into the workplace can help foster a sense of teamwork and problem-solving among employees. By reflecting on their experiences in these exercises, employees can gain valuable insights into their own strengths and areas for improvement. This will ultimately enhance their ability to work collaboratively and make informed decisions in real-life situations.