There are a plethora of leadership training activities that can be used to promote effective, informed leadership among various groups. These types of activities are used for a wide range of groups, from high school students to corporate executives. These activities could be as simple as forming groups and discussing specific topics related to effective leadership. They can be as simple as participating in ropes courses or having teams complete complex tasks while adhering to strict guidelines. Many leadership development activities also serve as team-building exercises.
Because effective leaders must have the trust of the people with whom they work, many leadership training activities focus on the development of trust. A group is split into pairs in one of these activities. One person is blindfolded, and the other must guide the blindfolded person from point A to point B without touching or physically guiding them. There may be a few obstacles between the two points that the leader must navigate the blindfolded person around. After one person has been successfully led from point A to point B, the two-person teams will usually switch positions.
Most leadership training activities include the development of communication skills in addition to establishing trust. Communication is crucial in the exercise described above, for example. In order for the blindfolded team member to make it safely from one point to another, the person leading the blindfolded team member must be an excellent communicator. Listening is an essential component of these activities. The blindfolded person may trip or go in the wrong direction if he does not listen carefully.
Teams may be required to complete a task without being able to speak or write notes to each other in other types of leadership training activities. This will encourage team members to think of new ways to communicate, which will inform their leadership abilities. Teams may be required to complete two parts of a task in separate rooms, with one “runner” who can ferry updates between the rooms.
The majority of leadership development activities include a problem-solving component. This is because leadership is frequently about resolving issues, overcoming obstacles, or devising novel solutions to problems. Building a structure out of flimsy or weak materials is a common game used in leadership training seminars. For example, a group might have to collaborate in order to construct a bridge model out of nothing but newspaper and tape. The bridge must be capable of supporting a brick.